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On December 5, Valdis Dombrovskis made a speech at the conclusion of the first Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting of the new European Commission (EC). Mr. Dombrovskis is the European Commissioner for “an Economy that Works for People”, and is one of the three newly-appointed Executive Vice Presidents of the EC.
Continue Reading ECOFIN Outlines Next Steps for Crypto and Climate Action

On July 29, the European Commission (EC) published a communication on equivalence in the area of financial services (Communication). The EC states that, in light of recent policy developments, it is timely to take stock of the EU’s approach to equivalence.

The Communication discusses the purpose and importance of equivalence. The EC states that each new decision is looked at individually and in detail to ensure that the policies of third countries are compatible with those of the EU, and that any equivalence determination is beneficial to, and sustainable for, both parties.EU financial services law includes approximately 40 provisions that allow the EC to adopt equivalence decisions and as of July 29, the EC has adopted more than 280 equivalence decisions for more than 30 countries.
Continue Reading European Commission Publishes Communication on Its Equivalence Policy With Non-EU Countries

On July 24, the European Commission (EC) published a suite of documents assessing the current anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) framework in operation in the European Union (EU).

Although each document is addressed to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, the EC states that it believes that these documents will support the EU and national authorities to better address money laundering and terrorist financing risks. It notes that some improvements can be made quickly at an operational level, and the EC will continue to support EU member states in this, while also reflecting on how to address the remaining structural challenges.
Continue Reading European Commission Publishes Assessment of EU AML and CTF

On May 14, the Council of the European Union (Council of the EU) published a press release announcing that it had adopted the proposed revisions to the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR II) and to the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD) IV, or CRD V, at first reading. This follows the preliminary political agreement reached by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament in December 2018 on proposed revisions to CRD IV and CRR (as reported in the December 7, 2018 edition of the Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest).
Continue Reading Council of the EU has Adopted CRR II Regulation and CRD V Directive at First Reading

On May 14, the Council of the European Union (Council of the EU) published a press release announcing that it had adopted at first reading the proposed Regulation to amend the European Markets Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR), or the EMIR Refit Regulation. This follows the preliminary political agreement the Council of the EU and the European Parliament reached in February 2019 on proposed amendments to be made to EMIR (as reported in the February 8, 2019 edition of the Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest).
Continue Reading Council of the EU has Adopted EMIR Refit Regulation at First Reading

On January 7, the Council of the European Union published a press release announcing that its Permanent Representatives Committee has agreed on its position relating to the proposed Investment Firms Regulation (IFR) and the proposed Investment Firms Directive (IFD). The Council also has published its compromise proposals on the IFR and the IFD.
Continue Reading Council of EU Agrees on Its Position on Proposed Investment Firms Regulation and Directive

On January 9, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published advice addressed to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on initial coin offerings (ICOs) and cryptoassets. On the same day, the European Banking Authority (EBA) also published advice on cryptoassets addressed to the European Commission.
Continue Reading ESMA and EBA Publish Advice on Cryptoassets

On November 14, a technical agreement was reached between the negotiators of the UK and the EU in relation to the terms of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (the Withdrawal Agreement). Published alongside the Withdrawal Agreement was a non-binding Political Declaration, providing an overview of the intended future relationship between the UK and EU.
Continue Reading UK and EU Publish Draft Brexit Withdrawal Agreement

On September 24, the European Parliament published a press release announcing that its Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) voted to adopt its draft reports on the European Commission’s proposals for a regulation on the prudential supervision of investment firms (Investment Firms Regulation (IFR)), and a directive on the prudential supervision of investment firms (Investment Firms Directive (IFD)).
Continue Reading ECON Votes to Adopt Draft Reports on Revised EU Prudential Framework for Investment Firms