The AIFMD is one of the pillars of EU regulation for investment funds, which will be crucial to the development of the Capital Markets Union (CMU) and the post Covid-19 economic recovery in the European Union.
The EU fund product landscape is deep, diverse and dynamic. Since the birth of the UCITS framework in 1985, European institutions have progressively refined it into a global “gold standard”, one that successfully balances strict regulatory requirements with the flexibility required by manager to meet evolving client demands. The successful evolution of UCITS was followed by the creation of alternative investment funds (AIFs) under the 2011 AIFM Directive, adding a second important pillar to EU fund/manager regulation. Building on this second pillar are further ambitious EU fund products, such as EUSEFs, EUVECAs and ELTIFs. EFAMA has helped guide all of these key regulatory developments, informing policymakers and regulators on their main merits and drawbacks, while also keeping a close eye on their respective review initiatives.
EFAMA strongly supports a fundamental review to the ELTIF regime, in view of broadening its eligible investment universe and adapting it to better meet retail investor needs. We are also closely monitoring the review of the AIFM Directive from a product regulation standpoint, including possible spillover effects on the UCITS Directive requirements. Further work involves keeping pace with relevant ESMA initiatives, such as the work around the Common Supervisory Action on costs and fees for UCITS.
The AIFMD is one of the pillars of EU regulation for investment funds, which will be crucial to the development of the Capital Markets Union (CMU) and the post Covid-19 economic recovery in the European Union.
EFAMA firmly supports the Commission’s proposed amend of the ELTIF Regulation, in line with its recently revamped “new” CMU.
We disagree with an extension of its scope to UCITS’ and AIFs’ management companies to the scope of the reporting requirements imposed by MiFIR, Art. 26. This extension would be in breach of the principle of proportionality, as:
The European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA) has today published its latest monthly Investment Fund Industry Fact Sheet, which provides net sales data of UCITS and AIFs for July 2020*.
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.
The European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), has today published its latest International Statistical Release describing the trends in worldwide investment fund industry in the second quarter of 2020*.
Worldwide regulated open-ended fund assets increased by 9.8 percent to EUR 51.7 trillion in the second quarter of 2020. Worldwide net cash flow to all funds amounted to EUR 818 billion, compared to EUR 617 billion in the first quarter of 2020.
The new European Commission is under pressure to act quickly and decisively and are moving full steam ahead with their policy priorities in 2025.
We can expect numerous new regulatory proposals in areas of importance for asset managers, including simplification, boosting competitiveness, financial stability and a new Savings & Investment Union proposal.
The focus on competitiveness and regulatory simplicity is definitely a step in the right direction after many years of ballooning regulatory complexity.
It is often argued that European citizens are not able to fully benefit from the single market for investment funds, on the basis that the cost of UCITS is higher than the cost of mutual funds in the United States (US). In this Market Insights, we analyse this question by carrying out a detailed comparison of the cost of UCITS and US mutual funds, taking into account the various ways of calculating costs as well as the differences between Europe and the US in the way investment funds are distributed.
This is our 13th edition of the Asset Management in Europe report, which provides an in-depth analysis of recent trends in the European asset management industry, focussing on where investment funds and discretionary mandates are managed in Europe.