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Date Ref. Title Section Type Download Info Summary Related Documents Translated versions
28/07/2011 2011/226 Public statement- ESMA Statement on disclosures related to sovereign debt to be included in IFRS financial statements Corporate Disclosure, IFRS Supervisory Convergence Statement PDF
36.9 KB
25/11/2011 2011/397 Public statement on sovereign debt in IFRS financial statements Corporate Disclosure, Corporate Governance, IFRS Supervisory Convergence, Press Releases Statement PDF
189.46 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
01/10/2012 2012/641 ESMA approves Axesor S.A. as a credit rating agency Credit Rating Agencies, Press Releases Statement PDF
83.07 KB
20/12/2012 2012/853 Treatment of Forbearance Practices in IFRS Financial Statements of Financial Institutions Corporate Disclosure, IFRS Supervisory Convergence Statement PDF
220.43 KB
20/03/2013 2013/336 ESMA certifies Kroll Bond Rating Agency to operate in the EU Credit Rating Agencies Statement PDF
76.36 KB
11/11/2013 2013/1634 European common enforcement priorities for 2013 financial statements Corporate Disclosure, IFRS Supervisory Convergence Statement PDF
152.24 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.
18/12/2013 ESA/2013/035 Joint Opinion-Review on the functioning of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) Joint Committee Opinion PDF
142.63 KB		 Joint Opinion-Review on the functioning of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB)
07/02/2014 2014/146 MiFID practices for firms selling complex products MiFID - Investor Protection, Warnings and publications for investors Opinion PDF
122.37 KB
27/03/2014 2014/332 Structured Retail Products- Good practices for product governance arrangements MiFID - Investor Protection, Innovation and Products Opinion PDF
203.1 KB		 Legal basis 1.    Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 (ESMA Regulation)  sets out the European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) scope of action, tasks and powers which include “enhancing customer protection”, and “foster[ing] investor protection”.  2.    In order to continue delivering on this investor protection statutory objective, ESMA is issuing this opinion on certain aspects linked to the manufacturing and distribution of structured retail products (SRP). This opinion takes into account relevant work done in this field both at European and interna-tional level.  3.    This opinion is without prejudice to the requirements for the provision of investment services and activities established in the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID)  and its implementing measures (notably, Directive 2006/73/EC), the regulatory developments arising from the MiFID review or existing product rules that may apply to SRPs.  4.    ESMA’s competence to deliver an opinion is based on Article 29(1) (a) of the ESMA Regulation. In accordance with Article 44(1) of the ESMA Regulation, the Board of Supervisors has adopted this opinion. Background 5.    In its July 2013 report on ‘Retailisation in the EU’ , ESMA highlighted that, from a consumer protec-tion perspective, retail investors may face difficulties in understanding the drivers of risks and returns of structured products. If retail investors do not properly understand the risk and reward profile of structured products, and if the products are not properly assessed against the risk appetite of retail investors, retail investors might be exposed to unexpected losses and this might lead to complaints, reputational risks for manufacturers and distributors, and a loss of confidence in the regulatory framework and, more broadly, in financial markets. 6.    In 2013, ESMA mapped the measures adopted in the EU Member States in relation to complex products in order to identify issues and to better understand the rationale behind national initiatives (by looking at similarities and differences in the various approaches, and reviewing how complexity has been treated in the different EU Members States). 7.    As a result, ESMA has developed a broad set of non-exhaustive examples of good practices, attached as Annex 1 hereto, illustrating arrangements that firms - taking into account the nature, scale and complexity of their business - could put in place to improve their ability to deliver on investor protection regarding, in particular, (i) the complexity of the SRPs they manufacture or distribute, (ii) the nature and range of the investment services and activities undertaken in the course of that business, and (iii) the type of investors they target. These good practices should also be a helpful tool for competent authorities in carrying out their supervisory action. Opinion 8.    ESMA considers that sound product governance arrangements are fundamental for investor protec-tion purposes, and can reduce the need for product intervention actions by competent authorities. 9.    ESMA considers that, when supervising firms manufacturing or distributing an SRP, competent authorities should promote, in their supervisory approaches, the examples of good practices for firms set out in Annex 1 hereto. 10.    Although the good practices set out in Annex 1 hereto focus on structured products sold to retail investors, ESMA considers that they may also be a relevant reference for other types of financial in-struments (such as asset-backed securities, or contingent convertible bonds), as well as when financial instruments are being sold to professional clients. 11.    The exposure to risk is an intrinsic feature of investment products. The good practices set out in Annex 1 refer to product governance arrangements and do not (and cannot) aim at removing investment risk from products.
07/05/2014 2014/477 ESMA approves EuroRating as a credit rating agency Credit Rating Agencies Statement PDF
75.01 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has approved the registration of EuroRating Sp. z o.o., based in Poland, as a credit rating agency (CRA) under Article 16 of the CRA Regulation. The registration takes effect from 7 May 2014.
31/07/2014 2014/944 Potential Risks Associated with Investing in Contingent Convertible Instruments Warnings and publications for investors, Innovation and Products Statement PDF
106.1 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is issuing this statement to clarify to institutional investors risks from a newly emerging asset class referred to by most market participants as contingent convertibles instruments (CoCos). If they work as intended in a crisis CoCos will play an important role to inhibit risk transfer from debt holders to taxpayers. They along with standards to improve the quality and quantity of bank capital reflect a considerate response to the former regulatory capital framework. However, it is unclear as to whether investors fully consider the risks of CoCos and correctly factor those risks into their valuation. ESMA believes there are specific risks to CoCos and that investors should take those risks into consideration prior to investing in these instruments.
28/10/2014 2014/1309 Public Statement- European common enforcement priorities for 2014 financial statements Corporate Disclosure, IFRS Supervisory Convergence Statement PDF
207.62 KB

The European Securities and Markets Authority (‘ESMA’) issues this Public Statement which defines the European common enforcement priorities in order to promote consistent application of the International Financial Reporting Standards (‘IFRS’) as indicated in the ESMA Guidelines on enforcement of financial information.As in the previous years, ESMA, together with European national enforcers, identified financial reporting topics which, listed companies and their auditors should particularly consider when preparing and auditing, respectively, the IFRS financial statements for the year ending 31 December 2014. In addition to these common priorities, national enforcers might also set additional enforcement priorities focusing on other relevant topics.ESMA, together with the European national enforcers, will pay particular attention to these common enforcement priorities as well as priorities identified in previous years, when monitoring and assessing the application of all relevant IFRS requirements. National enforcers will continue to focus on material issues in the financial statements that are relevant for an individual issuer under examination. On the basis of examinations performed, national enforcers will take corrective actions whenever material misstatements are identified. ESMA will report on findings regarding these priorities in its Report on the 2015 enforce-ment activities.
07/11/2014 2014/1345 ESMA certifies HR Ratings de México to operate in the EU Credit Rating Agencies Statement PDF
87.87 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has formally approved the certification in the European Union of HR Ratings de México, S.A. de C.V. (HR Ratings), a Mexican credit rating agency (CRA), under Article 16 of the CRA Regulation. The certification takes effect from 7 November 2014.
24/11/2014 2014/1399 Public Statement- ESMA approves Moody’s Investors Service EMEA Limited as a credit rating agency Credit Rating Agencies Statement PDF
134.62 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has approved the registration of Moody’s Investors Service EMEA Limited, based in the UK, as a credit rating agency (CRA) under Article 16 of the CRA Regulation. The registration takes effect from 24th November 2014. Moody’s Investors Service EMEA Limited’s registration as a CRA means that its credit ratings can be used for regulatory purposes under EU legislation. This is the seventh entity in the Moody’s Investors Service group to be registered as an EU Registered Credit Rating Agency.
12/12/2014 2014/1486 Public Statement- ESMA certifies Egan-Jones Ratings Co. to operate in the EU Credit Rating Agencies Statement PDF
88.76 KB		 The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has formally approved the certification in the European Union of Egan-Jones Ratings Co. (EJR), an U.S. American credit rating agency (CRA), under Article 16 of the CRA Regulation. The certification takes effect from 12 December 2014.EJR is headquartered in Haverford (Pennsylvania, USA) and is subject to registration, supervision and enforcement by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as a “Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization”.
18/12/2014 2014/1378 Opinion- Investment-based crowdfunding Innovation and Products Opinion PDF
460.92 KB		 Crowdfunding is a means of raising finance for projects from ‘the crowd’ often by means of an internet-based platform through which project owners ‘pitch’ their idea to potential backers, who are typically not professional investors.  It takes many forms, not all of which involve the potential for a financial return.  ESMA’s focus is on crowdfunding which involves investment, as distinct from donation, non-monetary reward or loan agreement.  Crowdfunding is relatively young and business models are evolving. EU financial services rules were not designed with the industry in mind. Within investment-based crowdfunding a range of different operational structures are used so it is not straightforward to map crowdfunding platforms’ activities to those regulated under EU legislation. Member States and NCAs have been working out how to treat crowdfunding, with some dealing with issues case-by-case, some seeking to clarify how crowdfunding fits into existing rules and others introducing specific requirements.To assist NCAs and market participants, and to promote regulatory and supervisory convergence, ESMA has assessed typical investment-based crowdfunding business models and how they could evolve, risks typically involved for project owners, investors and the platforms themselves and the likely components of an appropriate regulatory regime. ESMA then prepared a detailed analysis of how the typical business models map across to the existing EU legislation, set out in this document.
01/07/2015 2015/1005 Questions and Answers: Investment-based crowdfunding: money laundering/terrorist financing Innovation and Products Q&A PDF
157.73 KB
25/09/2015 2015/1462 ESMA opinion on accounting for Deposit Guarantee Scheme Corporate Disclosure, IFRS Supervisory Convergence Opinion PDF
127.91 KB
27/10/2015 2015/1609 Public Statement- Improving Disclosures Corporate Disclosure, IFRS Supervisory Convergence Statement PDF
169.77 KB

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