EFAMA welcomes the opportunity to respond to the EC’s targeted consultation on the functioning of the ESG rating market in the EU and on the consideration of ESG factors in credit ratings. Please note that our response covers, at the same time, ESG ratings and ESG data providers, as the demand for ESG “raw” data has been increasing at a steady pace. The use of ESG data has also rapidly shifted from a narrow set of investment products to being prolific across all investment products.
Distribution & Client Disclosures
EFAMA monitors issues surrounding fund distribution and disclosures to investors. These include investor protection and disclosure issues arising from the evolving PRIIPs and MiFID frameworks, the shift towards digital distribution tools, and the continued integration of ESG considerations into fund products.
EFAMA response to EC CfE ESG ratings and sustainability risks in credit ratings
IOSCO Retail Market Conduct Task Force Report
EFAMA appreciates the opportunity to respond to the IOSCO Retail Market Conduct Task Force's consultation on retail investment trends.
In our view, the IOSCO report provides a comprehensive picture of the retail market trends and risk magnifiers.
We also take the opportunity to share our views on the following areas:
EFAMA response to ESMA’S consultation paper “guidelines on certain aspects of the Mifid II Suitability Requirements”
EFAMA places huge importance on this revision of ESMA’s suitability guidelines, as they spell out in detail how investors can invest in sustainable investment products. If they are well designed, the guidelines have the potential to significantly boost capital flows towards sustainable investments; a goal that the European fund industry strongly supports.
FinDatEx launches interim version of European MiFID Template
The Financial Data Exchange Templates (FinDatEx) platform today published an interim version of the European MiFID Template (EMT V3.1) which is available on the FinDatEx website. The purpose of this interim version is to answer the demand of product distributors and manufacturers to cope with the basic implementation of MiFID II ESG/SFDR principles, and in view of the misaligned application dates of SFDR Level 1, SFDR RTS and MiFID II delegated acts.
Financial Data Exchange Templates (FinDatEx) platform publishes European Feedback Template
Financial Data Exchange Templates (FinDatEx) platform published on 01 December 2020 the European Feedback Template (EFT V1). This template standardises the information to be sent back from the distributor to the manufacturer under the MiFID 2 target market requirements. This is the first European wide feedback template. The EFT and all other FinDatEx templates are not compulsory, provided to the industry free of charge and are free of any intellectual property rights.
EFAMA Annual Asset Management Report the industry bellwether
The European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) has published today the 12th edition of its Asset Management Report*. The report aims to provide a unique and comprehensive set of facts and figures on the state of the industry at the end of 2018 but also to highlight the fundamental role of asset managers in the financial system and wider economy.
Investment Funds Distributor Due Diligence Questionnaire
Funds face unique challenges in performing intermediary oversight, and especially so because of MiFID II requirements, changing regulatory landscapes, and the absence of an industry agreed-upon standard between funds and their distribution channels. To help address these challenges, a dedicated working group developed a uniform due diligence questionnaire (DDQ) that will serve as the standard for investment funds (UCITS and AIFs) in performing onboarding and ongoing oversight of distribution channels.