In our latest Monthly Statistical Release, we show the main developments for the European investment fund market in December 2024 and include a first overview and analysis of the full year 2024.
In our latest Monthly Statistical Release, we show the main developments for the European investment fund market in December 2024 and include a first overview and analysis of the full year 2024.
Today, the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) published the 20th issue of its Market Insights series, titled “Beyond fund consolidation: a more promising strategy for bigger funds and faster cost declines in Europe”. This publication compares the size and number of equity UCITS with that of US equity mutual funds and challenges the commonly held belief that fund consolidation will significantly lower the cost of funds in Europe.
In its recently published market report on the costs and performance of EU retail investment products, ESMA asserts that there are “substantial differences in the fund cost level between the EU and the US”. In its accompanying press release, ESMA emphasizes that “the market inefficiencies revealed by this higher cost level show the need to focus on the competitiveness of EU markets, within a future Savings and Investments Union.”
Since recent market disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the International Organization of Securities Supervisors (IOSCO) have investigated how to make investment funds more resilient to liquidity shocks. The FSB published their recommendations in December 2023 and IOSCO is now looking into how to adjust their own 2018 recommendations along these lines.
In its response to IOSCO’s consultation on the revised recommendations for liquidity risk management for collective investment schemes, EFAMA welcomes the fact that IOSCO recognises aspects essential for proper risk management (e.g., asset managers’ primary responsibility and the absence of one-size-fits-all approaches).
Representatives of the EU and UK-based financial services industries met today (11 February 2025) in Brussels to discuss their respective priorities and shared challenges on the eve of the latest EU-UK Financial Regulatory Forum meeting and agreed on the following statement.
In its current form, the Retail Investment Strategy (RIS) will not achieve its goal of making investing more accessible to European citizens and could deter, rather than encourage, retail participation. In order to stand a chance of delivering on its objectives, the RIS needs urgent simplification. EFAMA have produced a short leaflet with our recommendations on how to simplify and reduce complexity in the current proposal.
Our key suggestions include:
EFAMA agrees in principle with many of ESMA’s suggested approaches in their consultation on guidelines on certain aspects of the MIFID II appropriateness and execution-only requirements. However, certain, essential elements still require further considerations before finalising these Guidelines.
EFAMA welcomes the ESAs’ official approval of the revised PRIIPs RTS and is now awaiting the Commission’s endorsement to have the RTS approved by the European co-legislators.
Originally, the Commission had intended to endorse the revised RTS by Q1 2020. With less than nine months remaining until the 31 December 2021 implementation deadline, there is now simply not enough time for fund managers and other product manufacturers to properly implement the envisaged wide-ranging changes. We explain why in more detail below.
ICMA’s AMIC and EFAMA have submitted a joint response to the IOSCO consultation on fund liquidity management by open-ended funds.
The response highlights how industry practices and existing regulatory provisions in Europe are well aligned with the Liquidity Risk Management (LRM) recommendations issued by IOSCO in 2018 (Annex 1).
EFAMA responded to one particular section of the Green Paper on Ageing published by the European Commission.
Members of the Pension Standing Committee addressed the following questions: What role could supplementary pensions play in ensuring adequate retirement incomes? How could they be extended throughout the EU and what would be the EU’s role in this process?
They recommend actions in four specific areas:
EFAMA welcomes the proposed revised OECD Roadmap. We would like to congratulate the OECD team working on private pensions for the wide-ranging research projects it undertook over the past years, which provided sound, evidence-based arguments to update the 2012 Roadmap.
We strongly support the main messages of the Roadmap, in particular the importance of
The Commission launched a public consultation ahead of the presentation of a legislative proposal to introduce an EU Digital Levy by January 2023. For EFAMA, any new tax legislation on “digital activities” (or “digital transactions”) should not be borne by the end-investors. Our understanding is that the industry’s activities should not be in scope of the new tax.

Discover the 6 reasons why your organisation should become a member of EFAMA.
Our members enjoy significant benefits including the opportunity to shape the industry positions, get first-hand access to regulatory and political intelligence, engage with industry peers and policymakers, and take part in EFAMA events.
Our three membership categories cater to the wide range of organisations that make up and support the investment management industry in Europe.