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Date Ref. Title Section Type Download Info Summary Related Documents Translated versions
03/02/2017 ESMA80-1467488426-27 Supervision Annual Report 2016 and Work Programme 2017 Credit Rating Agencies, Trade Repositories Report PDF
2.49 MB
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.
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.
13/07/2016 2016/1130 Final Report on the Market Abuse Regulation Guidelines Market Abuse, Market Integrity Report PDF
852.59 KB
21/12/2016 2016/1668 2016-1668 ESMA feedback statement on ESEF Corporate Disclosure, European Single Electronic Format, Transparency Report PDF
6.98 MB
05/02/2016 2016/234 ESMA’s supervision of credit rating agencies and trade repositories- 2015 annual report and 2016 work plan. Credit Rating Agencies, Trade Repositories Report PDF
2.08 MB

The European Securities and Markets Authority’s (ESMA) annual report and work programme has been prepared according to Article 21 of Regulation 1060/2009 on credit rating agencies as amended (the CRA Regulation) and Article 85 of Regulation 648/2012 on OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade repositories (EMIR). It highlights the direct supervisory activities carried out by ESMA during 2015 regarding credit rating agencies (CRAs) and trade repositories (TRs) and outlines ESMA’s main priorities in these areas for 2016.

ESMA adopts a risk-based approach to the supervision of CRAs and TRs in accordance with its overall objectives of promoting financial stability and orderly markets and enhancing investor protection. This risk-based approach requires the analysis of information from a variety of sources and the application of multiple supervisory tools including day-to-day supervision, cycle of engagement meetings with supervised entities, on-site inspections and dedicated investigations.

In order to build on the expertise that ESMA has developed through its supervision of CRAs and TRs, ESMA created a single Supervision Department in November 2015. ESMA intends to draw on the best practices identified from the supervision of both types of entity to further enhance its supervisory effectiveness in future.
17/06/2016 2016/982 Opinion on inside information disclosure under the Market Abuse Regulation Market Abuse Opinion PDF
278.89 KB
07/02/2022 ESA 2022 01 Joint ESA response to the EU Commission on Digital Finance Innovation and Products, Joint Committee Report PDF
2.57 MB
06/04/2020 ESMA 50-165-1098 ESMA annual statistical report on performance and costs of retail investment products in the EU- 2020 Fund Management, Innovation and Products, MiFID - Investor Protection Report PDF
4.08 MB
14/04/2021 ESMA 50-165-1710 ESMA annual statistical report on performance and costs of retail investment products in the EU- 2021 Fund Management, Innovation and Products, Market data Report PDF
2.54 MB
29/09/2020 ESMA WP-2020-3 ESMA working paper on DVC mechanism and impact on EU equity markets Innovation and Products, Risk Analysis & Economics - Markets Infrastructure Investors Report PDF
535.76 KB
18/02/2021 ESMA WP-2021-03 ESMA working paper on MiFID II research unbundling Innovation and Products Report PDF
1.18 MB

Presentation given during the Webinar organised on 25 February 2021

ESMA50-165-1308_RESEARCH_UNBUNDLING_PRESENTATION.PDF (europa.eu)
05/10/2020 ESMA33-128-1001_ Final Report_Guidelines on Portability of Information between Securitisation Repositories Securitisation Report PDF
279.02 KB
16/07/2018 ESMA33-128-473 Final Report- Draft RTS on authorisation of firms providing STS verification services Securitisation Report PDF
593.91 KB
16/07/2018 ESMA33-128-477 Final Report on STS notification Securitisation Report PDF
1.5 MB
31/01/2019 ESMA33-128-600 ESMA Opinion on securitisation RTS Securitisation Opinion PDF
4.02 MB
12/01/2017 ESMA50-1215332076-23 Opinion on the impact of the exclusion of fund management companies from the scope of the MiFIR intervention powers Innovation and Products Opinion PDF
224.29 KB
09/01/2019 ESMA50-157-1391 Advice on Initial Coin Offerings and Crypto-Assets Innovation and Products Report PDF
882.48 KB
07/06/2017 ESMA50-158-457 ESMA response to the Commission Consultation Paper on Fintech: A more competitive and innovative financial sector Innovation and Products Report PDF
712.26 KB
  1. ESMA welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Commission Consultation paper on Fintech: a more competitive and innovative financial sector (hereafter “the Consultation”).
  2. Fintech and, technological innovation in general, have been the drivers of a number of developments in the financial sector in recent years. Indeed, new forms of services and businesses such as automated advice or crowdfunding have emerged. ESMA sees these developments as a positive evolution as long as they are aimed at improving consumer financial experience and facilitate financial inclusion. ESMA would also want to stress that it adheres to the core principles (technological neutrality, proportionality and market integrity) highlighted by the Commission and agrees that any EU policies aiming to ensure the financial sector takes advantage of cutting-edge technologies, while remaining sound and safe for investors, need to integrate these principles.
  3. In this response, ESMA wishes to share with the Commission some reflections on a number of topics mentioned in the Consultation which appear relevant to ESMA:
    • Artificial intelligence and big data analytics for automated advice and businesses;
    • Crowdfunding;
    • Reg Tech;
    • Outsourcing and cloud computing;
    • Distributed ledger technology;
    • Role of regulation and supervisors; and
    • Role of industry: standards and interoperability
12/07/2019 ESMA50-164-2430 Report on the Licensing of FinTech business models Innovation and Products Report PDF
585.36 KB

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