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Date | Ref. | Title | Section | Type | Download | Info | Summary | Related Documents | Translated versions |
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21/12/2016 | 2016/1682 | 2016-1682 Press Release on Feedback Statement on ESEF | Corporate Disclosure, European Single Electronic Format, Press Releases, Transparency | Press Release | PDF 225.03 KB |
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17/04/2020 | ESMA71-99-1313 | Benchmarks MoU- 30 Mar (MAS ESMA) | Benchmarks, International cooperation, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 112.32 KB |
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04/01/2021 | ESMA71-99-1498 | Brexit: ESMA withdraws the registrations of six UK-based credit rating agencies and four trade repositories | Brexit, Credit Rating Agencies, Press Releases, Trade Repositories | Press Release | PDF 94.63 KB |
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29/06/2012 | 2012/415 | Call for Evidence on Empty Voting | Transparency, Corporate Disclosure | CESR Document | PDF 275.66 KB |
ESMA launched a Call for Evidence on Empty Voting in September 2011 to analyse the potential issues and concerns raised by the practice of empty voting and to examine whether there was a possible need for further action. An analysis of the responses received to the consultation has led ESMA to conclude that there is insufficient evidence to justify any regulatory action at the European level at present. | |||
11/06/2020 | ESMA71-99-1342 | Decision Short Selling Reporting Renewal Statement | COVID-19, Market Integrity, Press Releases, Short Selling | Press Release | PDF 83.55 KB |
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26/09/2017 | ESMA71-99-599 | EBA and ESMA provide guidance to assess the suitability of management body members and key function holders | Guidelines and Technical standards, Joint Committee, MiFID - Investor Protection, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 243.97 KB |
The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have published their joint Guidelines to assess the suitability of members of management bodies and key function holders. |
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07/02/2018 | ESMA71-99-945 | EC ECB ESMA FSMA press release on WG on RFR composition | Benchmarks | Press Release | PDF 391.71 KB |
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29/05/2019 | ESMA71-99-1168 | ESMA adjusts application of the trading obligation for shares in a no-deal Brexit | Brexit, MiFID - Secondary Markets, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 87.46 KB |
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29/05/2019 | ESMA71-99-1168 | ESMA adjusts application of the trading obligation for shares in a no-deal Brexit | Brexit, MiFID - Secondary Markets, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 87.46 KB |
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01/03/2012 | 2012/140 | ESMA advises European Commission on Prospectus Directive’s overhaul- Advice covers possible delegated acts | Prospectus, Corporate Disclosure, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 115.14 KB |
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04/02/2019 | ESMA71-99-1107 | ESMA agrees no-deal Brexit MOUs with the Bank of England for recognition of UK CCPs and the UK CSD | Brexit, Post Trading, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 131.3 KB |
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01/02/2019 | ESMA71-99-1096 | ESMA and EU securities regulators MoUs with FCA | Board of Supervisors, Brexit, Credit Rating Agencies, Fund Management, Press Releases, Trade Repositories | Press Release | PDF 80.5 KB |
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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 |
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11/11/2013 | 2013/1635 | ESMA announces financial statements’ enforcement priorities for 2013 | Corporate Disclosure, IFRS Supervisory Convergence, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 94.29 KB |
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published its European Common Enforcement Priorities (Priorities) for 2013. These Priorities are to be used by European Economic Area (EEA) national authorities in their assessment of listed companies’ 2013 financial statements. ESMA has defined these Priorities in order to promote the consistent application of IFRS across the EEA. Listed companies and their auditors should take account of the areas set out in the Priorities when preparing and auditing the IFRS financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2013. The Priorities identified refer to the application of IFRS in relation to: • Impairment of non-financial assets; • Measurement and disclosure of post-employment benefit obligations; • Fair value measurement and disclosure; • Disclosures related to significant accounting policies, judgements and estimates; and • Measurement of financial instruments and disclosure of related risks. Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “ESMA, in setting out these enforcement priorities for listed companies financial statements, aims to ensure that the IFRS recognition, measurement and disclosure principles are consistently applied across the EEA. “Consistent application of accounting standards is a key factor in ensuring the transparency and accuracy of the financial information which investors rely upon, and ultimately contributes to the proper functioning of Europe’s capital markets. “Finally, considering the focus on asset quality in the financial sector, listed financial institutions and their auditors should pay particular attention to properly measuring financial instruments and the accurate disclosure of related risks.” ESMA and the national competent authorities will monitor the application of the IFRS requirements outlined in the Priorities, with national authorities incorporating them into their reviews and taking corrective actions where appropriate. In addition to these Priorities, national authorities may also focus on other locally relevant areas as part of their review. Therefore, national enforcement processes may not be limited to the specific issues contained in this statement. ESMA will collect data on how European listed entities have applied the Priorities and will publish its findings on these Priorities in early 2015. It expects to publish its findings on the 2012 Priorities in early 2014. |
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29/06/2021 | ESMA71-99-1702 | ESMA ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF JAMES VON MOLTKE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE EURO RISK-FREE RATES WORKING GROUP | Benchmarks | Press Release | PDF 77.91 KB |
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12/11/2013 | 2013/1645 | ESMA clarifies shareholder cooperation in takeover situations | Corporate Disclosure, Corporate Governance, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 86.55 KB |
ESMA clarifies shareholder cooperation in takeover situations The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a statement on practices governed by the Takeover Bid Directive (TBD), focused on shareholder cooperation issues relating to acting in concert and the appointment of board members. The statement contains a White List of activities that shareholders can cooperate on without the presumption of acting in concert. It also contains information on how shareholders may cooperate in order to secure board member appointments by setting out factors that national authorities may take into account when considering whether shareholders are acting in concert. The statement is in response to a request by the European Commission for clarity on these issues, following its 2012 report on the application of the TBD. It is based on information collected about the TBD’s application and common practices across the European Economic Area (EEA). The statement was prepared by the Takeover Bids Network, a permanent working group, under ESMA’s auspices, that promotes the exchange of information on practices and application of the TBD across EEA. Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “Today’s statement means that shareholders can now be confident that they can expect authorities to take a consistent approach across the EEA to their cooperative activities. This consistency should in turn provide the reassurance needed by shareholders for the effective, sustainable engagement that is one of the cornerstones of listed companies’ corporate governance model allowing them to hold their boards to account. “ESMA believes that ensuring a consistent and convergent supervisory approach to this issue will be instrumental in affording equality of treatment to shareholders and investors across the EEA.” National competent authorities will have regard to the White List when determining whether shareholders are persons acting in concert under national takeover rules, but will also take into account all other relevant factors in making their decisions. Shareholder cooperation and acting in concert - The White List When shareholders cooperate to engage in any of the activities listed below, that cooperation will not, in and of itself, lead to a conclusion that the shareholders are acting in concert: 1. entering into discussions with each other about possible matters to be raised with the company’s board; 2. making representations to the company’s board about company policies, practices or particular actions that the company might consider taking; 3. other than in relation to the appointment of board members, exercising shareholders’ statutory rights; 4. other than in relation to a resolution for the appointment of board members and insofar as such a resolution is provided for under national company law, agreeing to vote the same way on a particular resolution put to a general meeting. If shareholders cooperate in an activity not included on the White List, this will also not result in an automatic assumption that they are acting in concert. Each case will be determined on its own particular facts. Cooperation in relation to the appointment of members of the board of a company The White List does not include any activity relating to cooperation on board appointments, due to differences in Member State approaches towards determining whether shareholders who cooperate in relation to board appointments are acting in concert. However, shareholders may wish to cooperate in order to secure board members’ appointment in a company in which they have invested. This cooperation might take the form of: 1. entering into an agreement or arrangement (informal or formal) to exercise their votes in the same way in order to support the appointment of one or more board members; 2. tabling a resolution to remove one or more board members and replace them with one or more new board members; or 3. tabling a resolution to appoint one or more additional board members. The statement therefore indicates which factors may be considered when assessing whether such cooperation is indeed an act of acting in concert. ESMA will keep the public statement under review in order to ensure that it continues to reflect accurately the practices and application of the TBD in the Member States. 2013/1642 Public Statement - Information on shareholder cooperation and acting in concert under the Takeover Bids Directive. 2013/1643 Cover Note to the Public Statement | |||
29/09/2016 | 2016/1407 | ESMA consults on future rules for financial benchmarks | Benchmarks, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 147.04 KB |
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13/02/2014 | 2014/174 | ESMA consults on Guidelines for issuers performance measures | Corporate Disclosure, Press Releases | Press Release | PDF 76.4 KB |
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched a consultation on Guidelines on Alternative Performance Measures (APMs). The aim of the guidelines is to encourage European issuers to publish transparent, unbiased and comparable information on their financial performance in order to provide users with a better understanding of their performance. Some examples of APMs include EBIT (Earnings Before Interest & Tax), EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation), free cash flow, underlying profit or net-debt. The Consultation Paper follows on from ESMA’s decision to review and replace the 2005 CESR Recommendation on APMs with Guidelines under Article 16 of the ESMA Regulation to tackle concerns about APMs used by issuers. Those relate mainly to APMs being used in such a manner as to present a confusing or optimistic picture of their performance by removing certain negative aspects, or even where this is not the case, APMs can be misleading if they are inconsistently calculated or presented. The proposed guidelines set out the principles that issuers should follow when presenting APMs, and are based on the requirements applicable to financial statements, as required by the IAS Regulation, mainly referring to their labelling, calculation, presentation and comparability.Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “The proposed guidelines aim to improve the transparency and comparability of financial information published by issuers. APMs presented in an appropriate way may reduce information asymmetry among the users of financial statements.“These guidelines will ensure that APMs are used and presented in a coherent fashion across the EU, which will in turn contribute to restoring confidence in the accuracy and usefulness of financial information and improve investor protection.” The proposed guidelines would apply to issuers with securities traded on regulated markets and all competent authorities and other bodies in the EU that undertake enforcement activities under the Transparency Directive. The proposed guidelines are aligned with other regulations and guidance issued by securities regulators in the United States, Australia and Canada on this matter. The closing date for responses to this consultation is 14 May 2014 and ESMA expects to publish the final guidelines in the fourth quarter of 2014. |
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15/02/2016 | 2016/291 | ESMA consults on implementation of the Benchmarks Regulation | Market Integrity, Press Releases, Benchmarks | Press Release | PDF 118.88 KB |
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has today published a Discussion Paper (DP) regarding the technical implementation of the incoming Benchmarks Regulation (BR). ESMA is seeking stakeholder’s input to inform its future proposals on draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) and Technical Advice (TA) to the European Commission. Benchmarks are used in financial markets as a reference to price financial instruments and to measure performance of investment funds, as well as being an important element of many financial contracts and their integrity is critical to financial markets and to investors in particular. The BR’s objective is to improve the governance and control over the benchmark process, thereby ensuring their reliability and protecting users. The changes aim to:
Steven Maijoor, ESMA Chair, said: “The Benchmark Regulation, once implemented, will ensure the accuracy, robustness and integrity of benchmarks and the benchmark setting process by clarifying the behaviours and standards expected of administrators and contributors. These requirements will ensure that benchmarks are produced in a transparent and reliable manner and so contribute to well-functioning and stable markets, and investor protection. “ESMA, in preparing for its work on regulatory technical standards and technical advice, is keen to ensure that all affected stakeholders have their views heard on this important topic and we hope that all interested parties will take this opportunity to contribute.” The DP is seeking stakeholder’s feedback in the following areas:
The exact date when the Benchmarks Regulation will enter into force is still unknown as it has not yet been published in the Official Journal of the EU. Next steps ESMA will hold an open hearing on the DP on 29 February 2016 in Paris. It will use the responses to its DP to develop detailed implementing measures on which it will publish a follow-up consultation in Q3 2016. |
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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. |