The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has today published its latest edition of the Spotlight on Markets Newsletter.

Your one-stop-shop in the world of EU financial markets focused in February and March on EU Green Bonds and our extensive activity on the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA). In both cases, we invited stakeholders to send their feedback on 1. rules for External Reviewers of EU Green Bonds and 2. on the third MiCA consultation package. On the latter, ESMA is seeking input on:

Detection and reporting of suspected market abuse in crypto-assets;
Policies and procedures for crypto-asset transfer services;
Suitability requirements for certain crypto-asset services and format of the periodic statement for portfolio management; and
ICT operational resilience.
In addition, ESMA finalised its first rules on crypto-asset service providers (CASPs). The Final Report included proposals on:

Information required:
for the authorisation of CASPs;
where financial entities notify their intent to provide crypto-asset services;
for the assessment of intended acquisition of a qualifying holding in a CASP;
How CASPs should address complaints.
ESMA fined Scope € 2,197,500 for breaches of the Credit Rating Agencies Regulation on handling conflicts of interest — structural failures and specific breaches of the conflict of interest obligations. We also went out with a report showing mixed impacts of shortening the settlement cycle in the EU.

Others

Statement on the application of certain MIFIR provisions
Statement on deprioritising supervisory actions linked to the clearing obligation for third-country pension scheme arrangements
CCP Chair’s speech on the completion of the EMIR review (Eurex Derivatives Forum)
High-level visits – Commissioner McGuinness; ESMA Chair’s visits to Hong Kong and Japan
A full overview of all publications can be found in the newsletter, together with information on next month’s speaking appearances of ESMA staff and vacancies. For updates, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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