We welcome yesterday's vote by the European Parliament plenary formally adopting two ‘quick fixes’ for PRIIPs (Packaged retail investments and insurance-based products) and UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities).
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.
European Parliament votes on ‘quick fixes’ for PRIIPs and UCITS - EFAMA statement
EFAMA Statement on the ECON Committee’s draft report amending the UCITS directive for PRIIPs
Andreas Stepnitzka, EFAMA Deputy Director, Regulatory Policy, comments:
Distance marketing of consumer financial services – Review of EU rules
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.
An ambitious CMU Action Plan that will need strong political support from Member States
Building a Capital Markets Union (CMU) that serves the needs of European citizens and businesses is an ambitious yet, essential - project that requires a long-term political vision, determination and perseverance.
The new CMU Action Plan adopted today by the European Commission, which largely builds on the recommendation of the CMU High-Level Forum, is a milestone in the journey towards the realisation of this ambition for Europe.
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.
EFAMA calls for changes to investor protection rules in MIFID II / MIFIR Review
EFAMA has submitted its response to the European Commission's consultations on the review of the MIFID II / MIFIR regulatory framework, where it has outlined its recommendations on investor protection and capital markets and infrastructure.
EFAMA's Director General Tanguy van de Werve commented:
Household Participation in Capital Markets - Country Statistical Profiles
3 questions to Sheila Nicoll and Alexander Schindler on the Capital Markets Union High Level Forum
Q #1 What is the difference of the High-Level Forum report to previous initiatives on the Capital Markets Union? What is different this time around?
Annual Review June 2019-June 2020
"It gives me great pleasure to provide you with an overview of our activities since our Annual General Meeting in Paris last year. While we were very much looking forward to hosting you all in Brussels this week, the current crisis and associated travel restrictions has forced us to improvise and turn our meeting into a virtual AGM.