This article has been published on ESG Investor
This article has been published on ESG Investor
EFAMA has published its latest Monthly Statistical Release for June 2024.
Thomas Tilley, Senior Economist at EFAMA, commented: “The ECB rate cut of early June resulted in strong net inflows into bond UCITS throughout the month.”
The main developments in June can be summarised as follows:
62,000+ new fund share classes have been added, including new categories
ESMA technical standards move one step closer to consolidated tape launch.
ESMA recently closed the consultation for regulatory technical standards that will define the competitive selection process for the consolidated tape, as well as the technical abilities that applicants will be assessed on. In its response for the buy-side, EFAMA stressed that a robust governance framework for the operators of the tapes is critical.
EFAMA supports achieving greater transparency through reform of the bond deferral regime. We would like to offer some feedback that suggests a different calibration on both liquidity thresholds, and the determination of trade size buckets.
We appreciate the analysis carried out by ESMA, which offers a solid basis for the review of the bond deferral regime. Nevertheless, we would like to provide some feedback on the proposed approach, which we believe can be further finetuned:
ESMA’s Call for Evidence on the UCITS Eligible Assets Directive is a welcome opportunity to take stock of the existing UCITS framework.
EFAMA welcomes the launch of this public consultation to evaluate and assess the effectiveness, efficiency and continued relevance of the DAC and its amendments (DAC2 to DAC6), as well as its coherence with other policy initiatives, priorities and the EU added value.
Ever since the term “shadow banking” has emerged from the FSB’s working circles in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis[1], our association has consistently argued that its use as a reference to regulated asset management companies and their funds is inaccurate and mis-leading.
Andreas Stepnitzka, EFAMA Deputy Director, Regulatory Policy, comments:
The Commission aims to present a legislative proposal to address the tax-induced debt-equity bias, also to support the action plan for the Capital Markets Union and to encourage companies to finance their investment through equity contributions rather than through debt financing.
EFAMA provided high-level comments to the Commission’s consultation on the potential review of the Directive on Distance Marketing of Consumer Financial Services.
We agree with the Commission’s interpretation that the Directive is seen as a “safety net” for financial services not already subject to product-specific legislation. Fund and asset managers are already subject to various, more stringent and detailed sectoral legislations, such as (but not limited to) UCITS, AIFMD and MiFID as well as the (more recent) Cross-Border Fund Distribution Directives.
The asset management industry recognises the much-needed adoption of mandatory European sustainability reporting standards under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) proposal. Insufficient availability of meaningful, comparable, reliable, and public Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data is a key impediment to realising the full potential of the EU's sustainable finance regulatory framework. Financial market participants' sustainable investments need to be driven by real, verifiable and reported ESG metrics of company's activities and financial risks.
Nine associations (AFME, AIMA, EAPB, EBF, EFAMA, FIA, ICI, ISDA, SIFMA AMG) welcome the Commission's decision to grant a time-limited equivalence decision in respect of UK CCPs. However, when this time-limited equivalence decision expires on 30 June 2022, there remains a significant risk of disruption to clearing for EU firms and to their access to global markets.

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.