ESMA’s Call for Evidence on the UCITS Eligible Assets Directive is a welcome opportunity to take stock of the existing UCITS framework.
UCITS
UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) refers to the EU framework for harmonising the creation, management and marketing of collective investment schemes in the EU (and EEA) Member States. It places a strong focus on investors’ protection and product regulation. Owing to this harmonised framework, once UCITS funds are registered in one Member State, they can be freely marketed across the European Union. Initially adopted in 1985, the UCITS Directive has since been modified repeatedly, to take into account developments in financial markets.
EFAMA is adamant to protect the competitiveness and international appeal of UCITS.
Related policy positions
Policy Position
EU Fund regulation
UCITS
AIFMD
12 September 2022
High-level response to ESMA consultation on notifications for cross-border marketing and management of AIFs and UCITS
EFAMA welcomes the European Securities and Market Authority’s continuous commitment to creating a single market for investment funds, confirmed by the draft regulatory standards currently under consideration. These RTS/ITS would further harmonise information that asset managers should provide to their national competent authorities before marketing or managing an investment fund on a cross-border basis, thus facilitating intra-EU product distribution.
Policy position
Capital Markets
MIFID
EU Fund regulation
UCITS
Management Companies
AIFMD
09 February 2021
EFAMA reply to ESMA CP on marketing communications guidelines
EFAMA believes that ESMA’s draft ‘marketing communication’ Guidelines still require important clarifications to ensure full alignment between them and MiFID II’s Commission Delegated Regulation Article 44. This alignment is essential to ensure coherent rules for fund management companies and distributors. Unfortunately, parts of the proposed Guidelines are overly prescriptive and may unintentionally make some marketing materials vaguer or even inconsistent with local MiFID requirements for distributors.
Related news
Press Release
UCITS
AIFMD
Statistics
23 June 2021
Monthly Statistics April 2021 | Net Inflows into long-term UCITS funds remain at a historically high level in April
EFAMA has today published its latest monthly Investment Fund Industry Fact Sheet, which provides data on UCITS, and AIFs sold in April 2021, at European level and by country of fund domiciliation.
Press Release
UCITS
AIFMD
Statistics
16 June 2021
International Statistics Q1 2021 | Exceptionally strong net sales pushed net assets of worldwide investment funds to almost EUR 60 trillion
Today EFAMA published its latest quarterly international statistics, tracking and analysing trends in worldwide regulated open-ended fund assets and flows for Q1 2021.
The main developments through the quarter are as follows:
Press Release
EU Fund regulation
UCITS
Management Companies
AIFMD
Statistics
02 June 2021
European Statistics Q1 2021 | European Investment Fund Industry 2021 Trends - Equity funds reach all-time high
EFAMA has today published its Investment Fund Industry Fact Sheet for the first quarter of 2021, including information on owners of investment funds in Europe and their net purchases of funds during the fourth quarter of 2020.
The main developments through the quarter are as follows:
Related publications
Publication
UCITS
Sustainable Finance
24 September 2024
Market Insights #18 - Sustainable Equity UCITS
This report looks specifically at the evolving trends of the equity asset class of sustainable UCITS, whose share is the highest (53%) in total sustainable UCITS funds. It highlights their role as investment vehicles in facilitating the green transition. The universe of sustainable equity UCITS funds is defined based on Morningstar’s classification of sustainable financial instruments1. This means funds must claim to have a sustainability objective, and/or use binding ESG criteria for their investment selection.
Publication
UCITS
AIFMD
26 March 2024
New rules for the AIFMD and UCITS Directive
New rules for the AIFMD and UCITS Directive were published on 26 March 2024 in the Official Journal of the European Union, making them law. These investment frameworks are European success stories and an integral part of the Capital Markets Union (CMU).
Publication
EU Fund regulation
UCITS
04 March 2022
The costs of UCITS and US mutual funds | Market Insights | Issue #8
It is often argued that European citizens are not able to fully benefit from the single market for investment funds, on the basis that the cost of UCITS is higher than the cost of mutual funds in the United States (US). In this Market Insights, we analyse this question by carrying out a detailed comparison of the cost of UCITS and US mutual funds, taking into account the various ways of calculating costs as well as the differences between Europe and the US in the way investment funds are distributed.
Contact
Deputy Director, Regulatory Policy
