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Date Ref. Title Section Type Download Info Summary Related Documents Translated versions
26/10/2010 10-1158 CESR comment letter regarding the IAASB consultation on the Exposure Draft on ISAE 3420, Assurance Reports on the Process to Compile Pro Forma Financial Information Included in a Prospectus CESR Archive, Audit Letter PDF
156.61 KB
10/12/2010 10-1353 CESR Comment letter to the IAASB regarding the Consultation on the proposed revisions to International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 315, Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement through Understanding the Entity and Its Environment, and CESR Archive, Audit Letter PDF
140.38 KB
04/01/2011 10-1541 3L3 Committees Joint Letter on the European Commission’s Green Paper on Audit: Lessons learnt from the Crisis Joint Committee, Audit Letter PDF
144.8 KB
04/01/2011 10-1541 Annex 1 3L3 Committees Joint Letter on the European Commission’s Green Paper on Audit: Lessons learnt from the Crisis- CESR annex Joint Committee, Audit Letter PDF
159.33 KB
04/01/2011 10-1541 Annex 2 3L3 Committees Joint Letter on the European Commission’s Green Paper on Audit: Lessons learnt from the Crisis- CEBS annex Joint Committee, Audit Letter PDF
120.57 KB
04/01/2011 10-1541 Annex 3 3L3 Committees Joint Letter on the European Commission’s Green Paper on Audit: Lessons learnt from the Crisis- CEIOPS annex Joint Committee, Audit Letter PDF
87.69 KB
25/10/2011 2011/353 Comment letter to the IAASB- IAASB Consultation Paper Audit Letter PDF
243.33 KB
24/10/2012 JC/CP/2012/01 Feedback statement ESA feedback statement on the Joint CP on Financial Conglomerates Joint Committee CESR Document PDF
82.95 KB
20/12/2012 2012/849 Letter to IAASB on Improving the Auditor's Report Audit Letter PDF
263.73 KB
14/03/2013 ESA/2013/007 Possible Framework for the Regulation of the Production and Use of Indices Serving as Benchmarks in Financial and other Contracts Risk Analysis & Economics - Markets Infrastructure Investors, Joint Committee Letter PDF
91.91 KB
13/11/2013 2013/1561 Review of the European System on Financial Supervision (ESFS) Joint Committee Letter PDF
141.48 KB
04/12/2013 2013/1880 IAASB ED– Reporting on Audited Financial Statements Audit Letter PDF
171.53 KB
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)
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.
07/04/2014 2014/363 Letter to the IAASB on its Proposed Strategy and Work Program for 2015-2019 Audit Letter PDF
207.37 KB

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) considered the Consultation Paper on the IAASB’s Proposed Strategy for 2015-2019 and the Proposed Work Program for 2015-2016 (CP) and thanks you for the opportunity to contribute to the IAASB’s due process. The views expressed in this letter are made from the point of view of securities regulators with the aim to enhance investor protection and improve listed entities’ auditors’ reports.
06/11/2014 2014-41 ESA’s budget 2015 – ensuring safe financial markets Joint Committee Letter PDF
91.5 KB		 The European Supervisory Authorities - European Banking Authority (EBA), European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) - have written to the President of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on their concerns regarding the budget negotiations for the 2015 EU budget and the budgetary constraints of the ESAs.
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.
18/02/2015 JC/GL/2014/43 Appendix 1 Compliance table for JC guidelines for complaints-handling for the securities (ESMA) and banking (EBA) sectors Guidelines and Technical standards, Joint Committee Compliance table PDF
187.15 KB

The table contains details of the competent authorities* who comply or intend to comply with the ESAs’ Joint Guidelines on complaints-handling for the securities (ESMA) and banking (EBA) sectors.
23/02/2015 2015/168 Letter to EU Institutions re ESMA’s 2015 Work Programme Corporate Information, Management Board, Board of Supervisors Letter PDF
37.31 KB		 Dear Mr Gualtieri, Ms Ribkina and Commissioner Hill, On 30 September 2014 we sent you ESMA’s Work Programme for 2015, which was based on the budget request that had been approved by ESMA’s Board of Supervisors: a budget of €38,639,000 and 147 Establishment Plan posts. The EU budget had not been voted at the time. Following the adoption of the EU budget, ESMA’s 2015 expenditure budget is €33,601,402 (plus an additional €3,100,000 from assigned revenues for tasks delegated from National Competent Authorities) with an Establishment Plan of 137 posts. ESMA’s Board of Supervisors has approved a revised work programme to account for the difference of €5m and 10 Establishment Plan posts; representing a 15% reduction compared to the planned ESMA budget and 7% of its Establishment Plan. ESMA will therefore lack sufficient resources to execute all the tasks that were initially planned for 2015. The Work Programme explains the areas where reprioritisation had to take place, including the risk that ESMA will not fully meet its legal obligations, for instance due to the delay of delivery compared to legally set timetables. A summary of the deprioritised tasks is annexed to the Work Programme and reproduced in the table below. 2014/1200rev ESMA Work Programme
06/03/2015 2015/422 ESMA's response to the consultation on IOSCO Corporate Information Letter PDF
27.24 KB

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