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Date Ref. Title Section Type Download Info Summary Related Documents Translated versions
15/03/2018 15-3-18 ESAs weigh benefits and risks of Big Data Innovation and Products, Press Releases Press Release PDF
20.5 KB
22/06/2012 2012/382 MiFID Q&A in the area of investor protection and intermediaries MiFID - Investor Protection Q&A PDF
319.78 KB
06/07/2012 2012/424 ESMA publishes MiFID guidelines to enhance investor protection MiFID - Investor Protection, Press Releases Press Release PDF
118.08 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has today published two final sets of guidelines aimed at enhancing the protection of investors in the EU. The guidelines relate to the provisions under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) relating to the suitability of investment advice and the compliance function.
19/09/2012 2012/579 Statement by Steven Maijoor at the ECON hearing on 19/09/2012 Corporate Information, Speeches Speech PDF
190.14 KB		 Statement given by Steven Maijoor, Chair of ESMA, at the ECON hearing in the European Parliament on 19 September 2012
17/09/2012 2012/581 ESMA proposes remuneration guidelines for firms providing investment services MiFID - Investor Protection, Press Releases Press Release PDF
130.32 KB
04/12/2012 2012/800 ESMA’s role in markets reform- Verena Ross, ESMA Executive Director Corporate Information, Speeches Speech PDF
147.98 KB		 Verena Ross, ESMA Executive Director, delivered the keynote address at the ICI Global Trading and Market Structure Conference in London.
04/12/2012 2012/803 Rebuilding investors trust in EU capital markets- Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair Corporate Information, Speeches Speech PDF
150.43 KB		 Steven Maijoor, Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), delivered the keynote address at the DSW Finuse Conference in Wiesbaden on 4 December 2012.
28/02/2013 2013/266 ESMA and the EBA warn investors about contracts for difference MiFID - Investor Protection, Warnings and publications for investors, Press Releases Press Release PDF
119.01 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the European Banking Authority (EBA) have published a warning to retail investors about the dangers of investing in contracts for difference (CFDs).The two authorities are concerned that during the current period of low investment returns, inexperienced retail investors across the EU are being tempted to invest in complex financial products, which they may not fully understand and which can end up costing them money they cannot afford to lose.Andrea Enria and Steven Maijoor, Chairs of the EBA and ESMA, warned:“Retail investors across the EU should be aware of all the risks arising from investing in CFDs.  These products appear to promise investors substantial returns at a low cost but may ultimately cost them far more than they may have intended or could afford to lose.“CFDs are complex products that are not suitable for all types of investors, therefore you should always make sure that you understand how the product you are buying works, that it does what you want it to do and that you are in a position to take the loss if it fails.”Investors trading CFDs should protect themselvesInvestors should only consider trading in CFDs if they have extensive experience of trading in volatile markets, if they fully understand how these operate and have sufficient time to manage their investment on an active basis.Investors should carefully read their agreement or contract with the CFD provider before making a trading decision.  They should make sure that they at least understand the following: •    the costs of trading CFDs with the CFD provider,  •    whether the CFD provider will disclose the margins it makes on their trades, •    how the prices of the CFDs are determined by the CFD provider, •    what happens if they hold their position open overnight,  •    whether the CFD provider can change or re-quote the price once an investor places an order, •    whether the CFD provider will execute investor’s orders even if the underlying market is closed, •    whether there is an investor or deposit protection scheme in place in the event of counterparty or client asset issues.If investors do not understand what’s on offer, they should not trade. Further information Always check if the CFD provider is authorised to do investment business in your country.  You can check this on the website of the CFD provider’s national regulator.  A list of all the national regulatory authorities, and their websites, is also available from:•    ESMA at http://www.esma.europa.eu/investor-corner; and •    EBA at http://www.eba.europa.eu/Publications/Consumer-Protection-Issues.aspx.The investor warning on CFDs will be translated into the official EU languages.Concurrently with the publication of this warning, the EBA is addressing an internal Opinion under Art. 29 of the EBA Regulations to national supervisory authorities on the prudential supervision of CFDs. Notes for editors1.    ESMA/2013/267 Investor Warning – Contracts for Difference (CFDs)2.    ESMA and the EBA are independent EU Authorities that were established on 1 January 2011 and work closely with the European other European Supervisory Authority responsible for insurance and occupational pensions (EIOPA).3.    ESMA’s mission is to enhance the protection of investors and promote stable and well-functioning financial markets in the European Union (EU).  As an independent institution, ESMA achieves this aim by building a single rule book for EU financial markets and ensuring its consistent application across the EU. ESMA contributes to the regulation of financial services firms with a pan-European reach, either through direct supervision or through the active co-ordination of national supervisory activity.4.    The EBA has a broad remit in the areas of banking, payments and e-money regulation, as well as on issues related to corporate governance, auditing and financial reporting. Its tasks include the protection of consumers and depositors, preventing regulatory arbitrage, guaranteeing a level playing field (especially by building a single rule book for the European banking system) strengthening international supervisory coordination, promoting supervisory convergence and providing advice to EU institutions. Further information:Reemt SeibelESMA Communications Officer Tel:   +33 (0)1 58 36 4272Mob: +33 6 42 48 55 29Email: reemt.seibel@esma.europa.eu David CliffeESMA Senior Communications OfficerTel:   +33 (0)1 58 36 43 24Mob: +33 6 42 48 29 06Email: david.cliffe@esma.europa.euRomain SadetEBA Communications Officer Tel:   +44 (0) 207 997 5914Mob: +44 (0) 7785 463278  Email: romain.sadet@eba.europa.eu     Franca CongiuEBA Communications OfficerTel:   +44 (0) 207 382 1781Mob: +44 (0) 7771 376395Email: francarosa.congiu@eba.europa.eu
11/03/2013 2013/279 "Regulation of systemically important financial institutions and of the shadow banking system"- speech by Steven Maijoor, Chair, at the CDU/CSU congress in Berlin Corporate Information, Speeches Speech PDF
102.94 KB
24/05/2013 2013/603 ESAs—Achievement and Challenges, by Steven Maijoor, Chair of ESMA Corporate Information, Speeches Speech PDF
87.87 KB

  ESAs – Achievement and Challenges Public Hearing on Financial Supervision in the EU 24 May 2013, Brussels Speech by Steven Maijoor, Chair  
06/06/2013 2013/684 ESMA and the EBA publish final principles on benchmarks Risk Analysis & Economics - Markets Infrastructure Investors, Press Releases, Benchmarks Press Release PDF
125.48 KB
11/06/2013 2013/726 ESMA clarifies pay rules applicable to investment firms MiFID - Investor Protection Press Release PDF
111.92 KB
29/09/2014 2014/1191 ESMA Management Board Election Results Corporate Information, Management Board, Board of Supervisors, Press Releases Press Release PDF
90.35 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority has elected three new members to its Management Board to replace outgoing members whose term will expire in October this year. The election took place at the Board of Supervisors meeting in Rome on 25 September and the successful candidates, who will serve a term of 2½ years beginning on the 1 November 2014, are: • Cyril Roux, Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), Ireland – new member; • Gérard Rameix, Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF), France – ending first term and re-elected; and • Marek Szuszkiewicz, Komisja Nadzoru Finanswego (KNF), Poland – new member.
06/11/2014 2014/1339 Capital Markets Union: building competitive, efficient capital markets trusted by investors Corporate Information, Speeches Speech PDF
124.34 KB		 Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, spoke at the joint EU Commission/Italian Presidency Growth for Finance Conference in Brussels - " Excerpts "Following its launch by President Juncker in July 2014, the Capital Markets Union (CMU) is now a concept under construction and I am very happy to have been invited to contribute today to its development. When doing so, we should remember the clear objective from President Juncker who stated that the CMU should maximise the benefits of capital markets and non-bank financial institutions for the real economy. "Despite the many efforts of the past four decades, and the good results achieved, the EU capital market is still fragmented which limits its potential. For example, an institutional investor wanting to invest in a mid-sized company will still have a strong bias towards companies in its own Member-State. There are transactions not happening that otherwise would be beneficial both for the investor and the company because of this home bias. The reason for this stems from a complex set of barriers relating to such issues as transparency of Small and Medium-sized Entities (SMEs), differences in their governance and cross-border differences in the ownership of shares. In sum, we are only halfway there. While the EU capital market has integrated steadily in the past four decades it is not yet comparable with, for example, the US capital market. With a five year time-horizon in mind, what is needed to achieve a strong and integrated capital market to increase capital availability and to support economic growth in all 28 Member States? In my view, there are four main building blocks: (1) greater diversity in funding; (2) increasing the efficiency of capital markets; (3) strengthening and harmonisation of supervision; and (4) increasing the attractiveness of capital markets both for EU investors and for investors from outside the Union. "The CMU should be based on an accelerated integration of the capital markets of the 28 Member States. The end goal should be a CMU that is competitive, efficient and that provides a wide range of funding channels. Above all, it should be trusted by investors."
19/11/2014 2014/1382 Regulatory measures to prevent another crisis- speech by Steven Maijoor Corporate Information, Speeches Speech PDF
226.16 KB		 Steven Maijoor, Chair of ESMA, gave the keynote speech at the "Regulatory measures to prevent another crisis?" event organised by the CFA Institute in Brussels, Belgium.
07/02/2014 2014/152 ESMA tells firms to improve their selling practices for complex financial products MiFID - Investor Protection, Warnings and publications for investors Press Release PDF
92.57 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published an Opinion on practices to be observed by investment firms when selling complex financial products to investors. ESMA is issuing this opinion to remind national supervisors and investment firms about the importance of requirements governing selling practices under MiFID (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive).ESMA is issuing this Opinion as it is concerned that firms’ compliance with the MiFID selling practices when selling complex products may have fallen short of expected standards. The concerns relate mainly to the suitability and appropriateness of complex products that are increasingly within the grasp of retail investors. The Opinion sets out ESMA’s minimum expectations with respect to the conduct of firms when selling complex products to retail investors.Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “Investment firms increasingly sell complex financial products such as warrants, different types of structured bonds, derivatives and asset-backed securities, which were previously accessible mainly to professional investors, to retail investors.“ESMA is concerned that this trend greatly increases the risk that customers do not understand the risks, costs and expected returns of the products they are buying. Therefore, we believe that it is crucial that investment firms act responsibly and in the best interest of their clients.“The level of concern regarding the risk posed by these products to investor protection when MiFID rules are not fully respected is such that we have also issued an EU-wide warning to investors in order to raise awareness about the risks arising from investing in these types of complex products.” The marketing and sale of complex financial products, in particular to retail investors, is an important investor protection area where ESMA wants to ensure a consistent approach to the application of the MiFID conduct business rules - thereby improving supervisory convergence.The areas covered by the Opinion relate to: firms’ organisation and internal controls; the assessment of the suitability or appropriateness of certain products; disclosures and communications in relation to products; and compliance monitoring of the sales functions.
18/12/2014 2014/1568 Press Release- Investment-based crowdfunding needs EU-wide common approach Innovation and Products, Press Releases Press Release PDF
155 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published an Opinion along with an Advice on Investment-based crowdfunding. The Opinion clarifies the EU rules applicable to crowdfunding, while the Advice highlights issues for consideration by the EU institutions to achieve greater regulatory and supervisory convergence within the EU.The Opinion is addressed to the national competent authorities (NCA) and provides clarity on how crowdfunding business models fit within the existing EU regulatory framework. It outlines how existing EU rules are likely to apply to crowdfunding platforms, depending on the precise business model used. It also provides guidance to NCAs who may be considering how to regulate platforms operating outside the scope of the harmonised EU rules on the key risks inherent to crowdfunding and the key components of a regulatory regime to address them.The Advice, addressed to the EU institutions – Commission, Parliament and Council, highlights the concern that strong incentives currently exist for crowdfunding platforms to structure their business models to fall outside the scope of regulation and asks them to consider policy options to reduce these incentives. Avoiding regulation presents risks to investor protection and makes it harder for platforms to grow their businesses.Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “ESMA’s aim is to enable crowdfunding to reach its potential as a source of finance, while ensuring that risks to users of crowdfunding platforms are identified and addressed in a proportionate and convergent way across the EU. “We believe that there are benefits both for investors as well as for platforms by operating inside rather than outside the regulated space. Opinion to National Competent AuthoritiesConsidering the diverse business models used within investment-based crowdfunding and depending on the precise structures used different EU legislation may apply. The Opinion sets out an analysis of how the main business models map across existing EU rules, e.g., the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), the Prospectus Directive, the Directive for Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMD) and other financial and banking regulations. In addition, the Opinion outlines what ESMA believes should be the key components of an appropriate regulatory regime for investment-based crowdfunding activities. ESMA’s Advice to the EU InstitutionsThe Advice to the EU institutions highlights gaps and issues in the current applicable regime where policymakers could consider taking action to ensure there is a regime protecting investors while also fit for purpose for crowdfunding platforms. These gaps and issues include: the impact of the Prospects Directive thresholds; capital requirements and the use of the MiFID optional exemption; and the potential development of a specific EU crowdfunding regime, in particular for those platforms that currently operate outside of the scope of MiFID The Opinion and Advice have been prepared in collaboration with and input from the European Banking Authority (EBA) on the regulation that falls within its scope of action, i.e. the Payment Services Directive, and constitute the first output of a co-ordinated programme of work with the next expected output being a publication by EBA on lending-based crowdfunding. In line with their respective remits, ESMA has focused on investment-based crowdfunding, while EBA has focused on lending-based crowdfunding.
19/12/2014 2014/1574 ESMA provides implementing rules for MiFID II MiFID - Investor Protection, Press Releases, MiFID - Secondary Markets Press Release PDF
110.55 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published today its final technical advice (TA) and launches a consultation on its draft regulatory technical and implementing standards (RTS/ ITS) regarding the implementation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and Regulation (MiFIR). Both ESMA’s TA and draft RTS translate the MiFID II/MiFIR requirements into practically applicable rules for market participants and national supervisors. The new regulatory framework aims at ensuring that secondary markets are fair, transparent and safe and that investors’ interests are safeguarded when being sold investment products. Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said:“Today’s implementing rules on both secondary markets and investor protection issues reflect ESMA’s desire to achieve the best outcome for market users and investors, taking into account the extensive submissions received from our stakeholders. The advice now goes to the European Commission to use in preparation of its delegated legislation, while our technical standards are open for a second round of consultation. “Once fully implemented, MiFID II will have a significant impact on the EU’s securities markets, its users and infrastructure providers. It will bring greater transparency and improve the overall functioning of markets thus strengthening investors’ trust in the financial sector.”MiFID II to include most financial instruments, trading venues and techniquesMiFID II/MiFIR introduces changes to the functioning of secondary markets, including transparency requirements for a broad range of asset classes; the obligation to trade derivatives on trading venues; requirements for algorithmic and high-frequency-trading and new supervisory tools for commodity derivatives. The key proposals stemming from ESMA’s TA/draft RTS cover the following issues: •    increased trade transparency, for non-equity instruments, in particular bonds, derivatives, structured finance products and emission allowances;•    a trading obligation for shares and a double volume cap mechanism for shares and equity-like instruments, introducing a major change to the framework for trading these instruments in the Union;•    an obligation to trade derivatives on MiFID venues (regulated markets, multilateral (MTFs) or organised trading facilities (OTFs)) only, in line with G20 requirements;•    newly introduced position limits and reporting requirements for commodity derivatives;•    rules governing high frequency trading, imposing a strict set of organisational requirements on investment firms and trading venues;•    provisions regulating access to central counterparties (CCPs), trading venues and benchmarks, designed to increase competition in the Union; and•    requirements for a consolidated tape of trading data, including rules for tape providers, reporting,  publication and sales of data.MiFID II to improve investor protection ESMA’s TA proposes that the Commission adopts a number of measures that will further the protection of investors across the EU. The main proposals relating to the improved protection of investors, especially retail, include:•    clarifications about the circumstances in which portfolio managers can receive research from third parties;•    clarifications under which circumstances inducements meet the quality enhancement requirement for the provision of advice;•    requirements for investment firms manufacturing and/or distributing financial instruments and structured deposits to have product governance arrangements in place in order to assess the robustness of their manufacture and/or distribution;•    requirements for firms to provide clients with details of all costs and charges related to their investment, including cost aggregations, the timing of disclosure (ex-ante and ex-post); information to non-retail clients; the scope of firms subject to this obligation; information on the cumulative effect of costs on the return; •    organisational requirements for firms providing investments advice on an independent basis; and•    specification of powers for ESMA and national regulators with regards to prohibiting or restricting the marketing and distribution of financial instruments. Next stepsThe TA has been finalised following extensive consultations with stakeholders and will now be sent to the European Commission. ESMA’s draft RTS/ITS, already previously consulted upon, are open for public comment until 2 March 2015. In addition, an open hearing will be held in Paris on 19 February 2015. ESMA will use the input received from the consultations to finalise its draft RTS which will be sent for endorsement to the European Commission by mid-2015, its ITS by January 2016. MiFID II/ MiFIR and its implementing measures will be applicable from 3 January 2017.
21/03/2014 2014/302 ESMA consults on major shareholders disclosures Corporate Disclosure, Transparency Press Release PDF
93.61 KB		 ESMA consults on major shareholders disclosures The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched a consultation on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) under the revised Transparency Directive relating to the notification of major shareholdings and the indicative list of financial instruments subject to notification requirements. The consultation runs until 30 May 2014. The revised Directive harmonises transparency requirements relating to information about issuers whose securities are admitted to trading on an EU regulated market. This harmonisation aims to enhance transparency in respect of the ownership structure of an issuer, to improve legal certainty and reduce the administrative burden for cross-border investors. The revised Transparency Directive also addresses the issue of the disclosure regime for new types of financial instruments that expose investors to an economic risk similar to when holding shares. The draft RTS support these objectives by facilitating the creation of a harmonised regime regarding the aggregation of holdings of shares and financial instruments, the calculation of notification thresholds and the exemptions from notification requirements. Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “Transparency is essential for ensuring that markets function properly and investors are afforded adequate protection when making investment decisions. “Today’s proposals support the aims of the Transparency Directive to improve the effectiveness of the transparency regime on corporate ownership. Clarity on this issue will ensure that shareholders and potential investors are in possession of the information needed to make informed investment decisions.” Draft Regulatory Technical Standards The draft RTS on the major shareholding notifications addresses the following issues: • Method of calculation of 5% threshold exemption regarding trading books and market makers; • Calculation method regarding a basket of shares or an index; • Methods for determining the ‘delta’ for calculating voting rights; and • Exemptions regarding notification of financial instruments. The Consultation Paper also sets out the proposed content of an indicative list of financial instruments which should be subject to the notification requirements laid down in the Directive, and outlines the processes for updating that list. The input from stakeholders will help ESMA in drafting the final report and determining the content of the draft RTS. Comments to this consultation can be submitted via ESMA’s website and the deadline for submission is 30 May 2014.
27/03/2014 2014/334 ESMA issues good practices for structured retail product governance MiFID - Investor Protection, Innovation and Products Press Release PDF
105.37 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published an opinion on structured retail products, setting out good practices for firms when manufacturing and distributing these products.

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