The AIFMD is one of the pillars of EU regulation for asset managers and investment funds, which have a crucial role to play in the development of the Capital Markets Union (CMU) and the post Covid-19 economic recovery in the EU.

The European investment management industry is helping savers achieve their financial goals and build up retirement savings. Investment management is a vital part of the European economy, providing funding for companies and infrastructure projects and contributing to economic growth and job creation across all Member States.

A holistic approach is recommended when establishing whether the use of leverage of AIFs poses leverage-related systemic risk and materially contributes to financial instability. Any regulatory policies on leverage need to be evidence-based and developed with empirical evidence showing the extent to which the use of leverage in AIFs contributes to the build-up of systemic risk. The Covid-19 pandemic is testament that no major dysfunction was reported in terms of use of leverage by AIFs.