EFAMA has published its latest Monthly Statistical Release for September 2024.
EFAMA has published its latest Monthly Statistical Release for September 2024.
The undersigned associations welcome the new European Commission’s objectives to boost the EU’s competitiveness, focus on the enforcement of existing legislation and simplify regulatory frameworks. We appreciate that this was also echoed by the Commissioner-Designate Maria Luis Albuquerque during her confirmation hearing in the European Parliament.
European Commission must ensure they don’t hinder much-needed EU investment
Following recent market disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK gilt market crisis, the European Commission is reviewing the adequacy of macroprudential policies for non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI). In July 2024, they launched a consultation to determine whether the EU should repurpose specific micro-prudential instruments or introduce new macroprudential requirements.
In its response to the Commission’s consultation on assessing the adequacy of macroprudential policies for NBFI, EFAMA stresses that Europe needs more holistic and rigorous analyses to determine where financial stability risks lie. Unfortunately, even though investment funds have proven resilient in recent years despite frequent market disruptions, the consultation focuses on the asset management industry.
EFAMA publishes its latest Monthly Statistical Release for August 2024.
Hailin Yang, Data Analyst at EFAMA, comments: “In August, the market environment remained positive, with all UCITS categories except multi-asset funds showing positive net sales. Money market funds registered the highest net sales, but also ETFs continued to draw solid net inflows.”
The main developments in August can be summarised as follows:
EFAMA responded to ESMA’s consultations on regulatory technical standards and guidelines, which aim to provide EU asset managers with further details on a broad and harmonised list of liquidity management tools (LMTs). As part of the recent AIFMD and UCITS review, these improvements will support our industry’s response to liquidity pressures, both in normal and stressed market conditions, while also protecting the interests of investors.
European asset managers welcome the joint statement from the European Commission, ESMA and the ECB putting a firm foot forward, and ‘accelerating the technical work’ needed to prepare the EU’s T1 transition
The European T+1 Industry Task Force, comprising 21 trade associations involved in European capital markets, was established in 2023 to bring together a diverse group of industry stakeholders who would be impacted by a move to a default T+1 settlement cycle for securities traded and settled in the EU.
Ever since the term “shadow banking” has emerged from the FSB’s working circles in the immediate aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis[1], our association has consistently argued that its use as a reference to regulated asset management companies and their funds is inaccurate and mis-leading.
Andreas Stepnitzka, EFAMA Deputy Director, Regulatory Policy, comments:
The Commission aims to present a legislative proposal to address the tax-induced debt-equity bias, also to support the action plan for the Capital Markets Union and to encourage companies to finance their investment through equity contributions rather than through debt financing.
EFAMA provided high-level comments to the Commission’s consultation on the potential review of the Directive on Distance Marketing of Consumer Financial Services.
We agree with the Commission’s interpretation that the Directive is seen as a “safety net” for financial services not already subject to product-specific legislation. Fund and asset managers are already subject to various, more stringent and detailed sectoral legislations, such as (but not limited to) UCITS, AIFMD and MiFID as well as the (more recent) Cross-Border Fund Distribution Directives.
The asset management industry recognises the much-needed adoption of mandatory European sustainability reporting standards under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) proposal. Insufficient availability of meaningful, comparable, reliable, and public Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) data is a key impediment to realising the full potential of the EU's sustainable finance regulatory framework. Financial market participants' sustainable investments need to be driven by real, verifiable and reported ESG metrics of company's activities and financial risks.
Nine associations (AFME, AIMA, EAPB, EBF, EFAMA, FIA, ICI, ISDA, SIFMA AMG) welcome the Commission's decision to grant a time-limited equivalence decision in respect of UK CCPs. However, when this time-limited equivalence decision expires on 30 June 2022, there remains a significant risk of disruption to clearing for EU firms and to their access to global markets.

Discover the 6 reasons why your organisation should become a member of EFAMA.
Our members enjoy significant benefits including the opportunity to shape the industry positions, get first-hand access to regulatory and political intelligence, engage with industry peers and policymakers, and take part in EFAMA events.
Our three membership categories cater to the wide range of organisations that make up and support the investment management industry in Europe.