This article was published in Responsible Investor on 8 April 2026.
This article was published in Responsible Investor on 8 April 2026.
Today, EFAMA has published its latest International Quarterly Statistical Release for Q4 2025.
This article was published on the EFAMA blog on 27 March 2026.
By Andreas Stepnitzka, Deputy Director for Regulatory Policy at EFAMA
This article was published on the EFAMA blog on 24 March 2026.
Buy-in from Member States will be essential
The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) and the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) have today published a statement calling for policy makers to focus on scaling up EU equity markets by promoting competition and innovation, rather than seeking to rebalance volumes towards incumbent exchanges at the expense of investors.
The European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) welcomes the Digital Fitness Check and the European Commission’s initiative to review the EU Digital Rulebook and assess how it can be improved to better support innovation and help position Europe as a global leader in critical technologies.
EFAMA welcomes the Digital Omnibus legislative proposals, and in particular the targeted amendments introduced to the GDPR and the AI Act. The proposed amendments aim to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and provide legal clarity within the existing regulatory framework while preserving its core objectives.
As the European Union’s financial system has become more complex, it has also opened the door to new risks of money laundering and terrorist financing. EFAMA supports the new regulatory package proposed by the Commission on 20 July 2021, believing this initiative will make strides in ensuring that no loopholes or weak links in the internal market allow criminals to use the EU to launder the proceeds of their illicit activities.
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EFAMA shared its views on the EBA’s Draft Guidelines on policies and procedures in relation to compliance management and the role and responsibilities of the AML/CFT Compliance Officer under Article 8 and Chapter VI of Directive (EU) 2015/849 (the ‘Draft Guidelines’).
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.

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