Category: Press Releases

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has published today updates to the Q&As on transparency and market structure issues[1], the Manual on post-trade Transparency and the Opinion on the assessment of pre-trade waivers considering MiFIR Review Transitional Provisions. ESMA is providing further practical guidance on the provisions...

The European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – the ESAs) today issued an Opinion on the European Commission’s (EC) rejection of the draft Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) on the registers of information under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). The ESAs raise concerns over the impacts and practicalities of the proposed EC changes to...

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has today published its first consolidated report on sanctions and measures imposed by the National Competent Authorities (NCAs) in Member States in 2023. In 2023, more than 970 administrative sanctions and measures were imposed across EU Member States in financial sectors...

The Joint Committee of the European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – the ESAs) published today its Work Programme for 2025, placing particular emphasis on ongoing collaboration to tackle cross-sectoral risks, promoting sustainability in the EU financial system and strengthening financial entities’ digital resilience. More specifically, in addition to fostering regulatory consistency, adequate risk...

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has today launched two consultations on transaction reporting and order book data under the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR) Review. ESMA is seeking input on the amendments to the regulatory technical standards (RTS) for the reporting of transactions and to...

The three European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – ESAs) have appointed Marc Andries to lead their new joint Directorate in charge of oversight activities for critical third-party providers established by the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). Marc Andries takes up his new role as Director for DORA joint oversight on 1 October 2024....

The FCA is stepping in to better protect customers when payments and e-money firms go out of business. Use of payments firms has grown in recent years, but the FCA says it continues to see poor safeguarding practices from firms. Funds held by payments and e-money firms are not directly protected by the Financial Services...

The Federal Court today ordered Vanguard Investments Australia to pay a $12.9 million penalty for making misleading claims about environmental, social and governance (ESG) exclusionary screens. These screens were applied to investments in the Vanguard Ethically Conscious Global Aggregate Bond Index Fund. ASIC Deputy Chair Sarah Court said, ‘This is an important decision and the...

Following an ASIC investigation, the Markets Disciplinary Panel (MDP) has fined Macquarie Bank Limited (Macquarie) a record $4.995 million for failing to prevent suspicious orders being placed on the electricity futures market. This is the highest penalty ever imposed by the MDP. On 50 occasions, from January to September 2022, Macquarie breached market integrity rules...

ASIC has cancelled the Australian credit licences of Ultimate Credit Management Pty Ltd (in liquidation) (Ultimate Credit) and Worry Free Finance Pty Ltd (Worry Free) following payments of compensation by the Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR). On 6 February 2024, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) made a determination against Ultimate Credit, which Ultimate...