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Date Ref. Title Section Type Download Info Summary Related Documents Translated versions
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
28/06/2013 2013/845 Joint Committee of ESAs holds its first Consumer Protection Day Warnings and publications for investors Press Release PDF
153.3 KB
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.
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.
28/01/2016 2016/102 Statement by Steven Maijoor on behalf of the ESAs Joint Committee, Speeches Statement PDF
107.74 KB

Statement at the ECON scrutiny hearing on behalf of the ESAs.
20/06/2016 2016/940 Statement by Steven Maijoor at ECON MiFID II/MiFIR Scrutiny Session, 21 June 2016 Speeches, MiFID - Secondary Markets Statement PDF
235.65 KB
13/06/2016 2016/943 Statement by Verena Ross at ECON Public Hearing on Securitisation Board of Supervisors, Speeches Statement PDF
242.38 KB
05/02/2019 ESMA 70-155-7026 Use of UK data in ESMA databases in case of a no-deal Brexit Brexit, MiFID - Secondary Markets, MiFID II: Transparency Calculations and DVC Statement PDF
281.69 KB
12/10/2020 ESMA22-105-1248 Steven Maijoor Opening Statement for ECON Hearing 12 October 2020 Board of Supervisors, Brexit, Corporate Information, COVID-19, Joint Committee, Speeches Statement PDF
134.36 KB
13/11/2017 ESMA50-157-828 ESMA alerts firms involved in Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) to the need to meet relevant regulatory requirements Innovation and Products, Warnings and publications for investors Statement PDF
330.73 KB
13/11/2017 ESMA50-157-829 ESMA alerts investors to the high risks of Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) Innovation and Products, Warnings and publications for investors Statement PDF
444.01 KB
06/12/2017 ESMA50-164-1173 Press Release MiFID/MAR Transitional Transparency Calculations Market Abuse, Market Integrity, MiFID - Secondary Markets, MiFID II: Transparency Calculations and DVC, Press Releases Press Release PDF
225.44 KB
19/03/2019 ESMA65-8-6254 Public statement on Brexit Data Operational Plan Brexit, MiFID II: Transparency Calculations and DVC Statement PDF
147.23 KB
07/10/2019 ESMA65-8-6254 ESMA’s Data Operational Plan under a no-deal Brexit scenario on 31 October 2019 Brexit, MiFID - Secondary Markets, MiFID II: Transparency Calculations and DVC Statement PDF
154.85 KB
07/10/2019 ESMA70-155-7658 Use of UK data in ESMA databases and performance of MiFID II calculations in case of a no-deal Brexit on 31 October 2019 Brexit, MiFID - Secondary Markets, MiFID II: Transparency Calculations and DVC Statement PDF
155.54 KB
esma90-1-167_public_statement_-_brexit_update_october_2019.pdf
09/04/2020 ESMA70-155-9817 ESMA postpones the publication dates of the annual transparency calculations for non-equity instruments and for the quarterly systematic internaliser data for non-equity instruments other than bonds COVID-19, MiFID - Secondary Markets, MiFID II: Transparency Calculations and DVC Statement PDF
94.58 KB
13/11/2017 ESMA71-99-649 Press Release ICO Statements Innovation and Products, Press Releases, Warnings and publications for investors Press Release PDF
169.52 KB
15/12/2017 ESMA71-99-910 Statement on preparatory work of the European Securities and Markets Authority in relation to CFDs and binary options offered to retail clients MiFID - Investor Protection, Warnings and publications for investors Statement PDF
209.47 KB
01/06/2018 ESMA71-99-973 ESMA71-99-973 Press Release Product Intervention EUOJ publication MiFID - Investor Protection, Press Releases, Warnings and publications for investors Press Release PDF
241.5 KB
30/05/2018 ESMA71-99-987 PR on EBA-ESMA statement on retail holders of bail-inable instruments MiFID - Investor Protection, Press Releases, Warnings and publications for investors Press Release PDF
281.95 KB

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