Newsletter
ESMA Newsletter "Spotlight on Markets" is your one-stop-shop information source in the world of financial markets. ESMA will bring together at the end of every month proposals and pieces of advice to the European Commission, key reports, Q&A updates, joint statements with the other European Supervisory Authorities, upcoming speaking apparencies and current vacancies to give our stakeholders a full overview of our activities.
January and February 2026 issue
This edition opens with ESMA’s actions to simplify the retail investor journey and make investing more accessible, setting out steps to support retail participation in capital markets.
Top news highlights include the publication of the first Trends, Risks and Vulnerabilities (TRV) report of 2026, which points to a high-risk environment for EU financial markets, as well as analysis showing that new investment funds are helping to reduce costs for investors.
Key publications featured in this edition include:
- Annual transparency calculations for equity and equity-like instruments;
- a joint EBA-ESMA consultation on revised suitability assessment requirements for banks and investment firms;
- ESMA’s proposals to simplify MiFID II/MiFIR obligations on market data; and
- Statement supporting the smooth implementation of the Listing Act and simplified prospectus compliance for issuers.
Other updates in this edition cover new Q&As, EMIR 3, supervisory and enforcement actions, market abuse guidelines, sustainability reporting, and upcoming events.
The newsletter also provides an overview of open consultations and upcoming events. For regular updates, follow ESMA on LinkedIn, X and Instagram.
