UCITS
UCITS (Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities) refers to the EU framework for harmonising the creation, management and marketing of collective investment schemes in the EU (and EEA) Member States. It places a strong focus on investors’ protection and product regulation. Owing to this harmonised framework, once UCITS funds are registered in one Member State, they can be freely marketed across the European Union. Initially adopted in 1985, the UCITS Directive has since been modified repeatedly, to take into account developments in financial markets.
EFAMA is adamant to protect the competitiveness and international appeal of UCITS.
Use of Leverage in Investment Funds in Europe | AMIC-EFAMA Joint Paper
EFAMA response to the IOSCO Consultation on Termination of Investment Funds
EFAMA welcomes the opportunity to provide its comments on the Good Practices to be adopted by IOSCO for the Termination of Investment Funds. We agree that the decision to terminate a fund can have significant impact on investors in terms of the costs associated with such an action, or the ability for investors to redeem their holdings during the termination process. In this regard, even in the context of a fund’s voluntary termination, asset managers must abide by their fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of their investors.
EFAMA response to the European Commission’s consultation on the barriers to cross-border distribution of funds
EFAMA welcomes the consultation that the European Commission launched on the cross-border distribution of different types of investment funds (AIFs, UCITS, EuVECA/EuSEF, and ELTIF) and the opportunity to respond as to the remaining barriers to marketing funds across the EU single market, as well as the ways to eliminate them. We, also, fully share the goal of the European Commission in seeking further ways to deepen the Single Market for investment funds.
ETF inflows on track for new record in 2025
Today, EFAMA has published its latest Monthly Statistical Release for September 2025.
Strong net inflows into long-term UCITS continue in August
Today, EFAMA has published its latest Monthly Statistical Release for August 2025.
Net Returns and Fund Costs: A Nuanced Look at Value in UCITS
This article was published in the 23rd edition of the Fact Book on 24 June 2025.
Given the emphasis on costs and value for money for European investors, we have examined whether lower fees consistently translate into better net performance. Our analysis shows that this is not always the case; less-expensive funds do not necessarily deliver the highest returns, and in some instances, higher-cost funds outperform.
The costs of UCITS and US mutual funds | Market Insights | Issue #8
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.
Fund managers retain only 41% of the total cost paid by retail investors | Market Insights | Issue #6
EFAMA has released its latest Market Insights report titled “Perspective on the costs of UCITS”. The full report breaks down the costs of UCITS, focusing on the fees charged for the different services provided along the investment fund value chain and distinguishing between the product cost for which fund managers are directly responsible, and the
Market Insights | Issue #5 | Perspective on the net performance of UCITS
Equity UCITS delivered a total net return of 108% in real terms in 2010-2019, whereas bank deposits lost 10% in net value
