ESMA has published a call for evidence on digital finance.
The call for evidence aims to gather relevant information on particular issues including value chains, platforms and groups’ provision of financial and non-financial services. The feedback will contribute to ESMA’s technical advice to the European Commission. ESMA is requesting information on three topics:
- more fragmented or non-integrated value chains, arising as a result of financial firms increasingly relying on third parties for the delivery of their services and of technology companies entering financial services;
- digital platforms and bundling of financial services; and
- mixed activity groups providing both financial and non-financial services.
On the Official Journal of the European Union of 25 May 2021 has been published the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/822 amending Delegated Regulations (EU) No 1003/2013 and (EU) 2019/360 as regards the annual supervisory fees charged by the European Securities and Markets Authority to trade repositories for 2021
After Brexit, two trade repositories established in the United Kingdom transferred part of their services and activities to the Union in order to be able to continue providing their services and activities to counterparties established in the Union. That has significantly changed the number of trade repositories active in the Union. In order to allow ESMA to charge fees to trade repositories in 2021 in a proportionate manner while covering all its cost related to their supervision, it is necessary to change the reference period for the calculation of annual fees paid by trade repositories to ESMA in 2021.
ICMA’s new publication Overview and recommendations for sustainable finance taxonomies compares the main features and methodologies of official taxonomies from the EU, China and other national authorities as well as influential market-based systems including the Green Bond Principles’ project categories.
The key success criteria proposed by the paper recommend that taxonomies should be:
- Targeted in their purpose and objectives.
- Additional in relation to existing international frameworks.
- Usable by the market for all intended purposes.
- Open and compatible with complementary approaches and initiatives.
- Transition-enabled incorporating trajectories and pathways.
