On January 16, the House of Lords European Union Committee published a letter from the Chair, Lord Kinnoull, to John Glen, Economic Secretary to Her Majesty’s Treasury (the Letter). The Letter concerns the recently published Taxonomy Regulation (for more information please see the January 10 edition of Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest).
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Brexit
FCA Publishes Dear CEO Letter for UK Alternative Investment Firms
On January 20, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a letter to the CEOs of UK-based alternative investment firms to outline the FCA’s view of the key risks of harm to the customers or markets in which such firms operate (the Letter). The FCA defines alternative investment firms as firms that predominately manage alternative investment vehicles (such as hedge funds or private equity vehicles), or manage alternative assets directly, or provide advice on such vehicles or assets.…
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FCA Publishes Dear CEO Letter for UK Asset Management Firms
On January 20, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a letter to the CEOs of asset management firms to outline their view of the key risks of harm to the customers or markets in which they operate (the Letter). The FCA defines asset management firms as firms that predominately manage mainstream investment vehicles, excluding wealth managers and financial advisers.…
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UK Withdrawal Agreement Becomes Law
On January 23, the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill became an Act of Parliament and is now legally binding in the UK. The purpose of this legislation is to give binding force to the withdrawal agreement that was made between the UK and the EU on October 19, 2019.…
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European Commission Grants Temporary Equivalence to UK CCPs
On December 23, 2019, the European Commission’s (EC) Implementing Decision, which grants temporary equivalence to UK central counterparties (CCPs), was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (EU). This means that the Implementing Decision became law on December 24, 2019.
FCA Extends Brexit Deadlines
On October 31, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published five revised directions, extending the Temporary Permissions Regime (TPR) to January 20, 2020. This coincides with the most recent extension of the Brexit deadline from October 31 to January 31, 2020 and is the fourth time that the TPR has been extended.…
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HMT Publishes Letter on Equivalence
On October 31, the European Scrutiny Committee published a letter they received from John Glen MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, regarding potential equivalence arrangements that might be put in place between the UK and the EU following Brexit. The European Scrutiny Committee is a committee of the House of Commons and is chaired by Sir William Cash MP.…
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FCA Publishes “Brexit Special” Market Watch
On October 7, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a “Brexit Special” of its monthly Market Watch newsletter, in which it summarized some recent developments and publications in connection with the regulated sector’s preparedness for the forthcoming departure of the UK from the EU on November 1.
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FCA Updates Directions Under the Temporary Transitional Power
On September 26, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published updated draft directions under its Temporary Transitional Power (TTP). The TTP is designed to give the FCA flexibility in applying post-Brexit requirements to firms that are transitioning to the new UK regulatory framework following the UK’s departure from the EU. The draft directions would only come into effect on exit day if the UK leaves the EU without an implementation period.…
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German Government Publishes Proposed Law for Proprietary Trading Firms
Posted in EU Developments, Financial Markets
On September 5, the German Federal Government published a proposal relating to a draft law implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/834 (EMIR REFIT), which also clarifies the licensing requirements for non-EU firms (which would include UK firms after Brexit) that conduct cross-border proprietary trading with German counterparties or on German trading venues.