April 2022
Welcome to the latest edition of 乐鱼(Leyu)体育官网 Regulatory Horizons from 乐鱼(Leyu)体育官网's EMA FS Regulatory Insight Centre (RIC)聽鈥� with forward-looking insights and commentary on financial services regulation that impacts the EMA region.
Unsurprisingly during 2020 and 2021, European policy makers and regulators were very much focused on the impacts of, and recovery from, the COVID-19 pandemic. There is now cautious hope that the worst has passed. This quarter鈥檚 issue of 乐鱼(Leyu)体育官网 Regulatory Horizons shows that regulators are now looking to the future 鈥� including the challenges of digital and sustainable finance. However, they have also had to react to and monitor the impacts on financial markets and services of Russia鈥檚 aggression towards Ukraine. At the international level, the FSB鈥檚 recently published workplan reflects most of these areas of focus聽鈥斅爌lease see a summary below.
Based on the EBA鈥檚 initial assessment, there is limited direct impact on EU banks from the Russian invasion of Ukraine but second order effects may be more material from a financial stability perspective. The EBA strongly encourages banks and other financial institutions to consider carefully the prudential and business impacts of the short and longer-term risks they face in light of these geopolitical developments. Cyber risks in particular require continued attention. ESMA is coordinating the regulatory response to the Ukraine crisis and closely monitoring the impact on financial markets and reminds issuers of the need for transparency in financial reporting and market disclosures on the impacts of the crisis. Both Authorities reiterate the need for firms to comply with EU sanctions.
Regulators are considering how to balance the innovations and efficiencies that digital finance can bring with the associated risks. This issue covers developments in cryptoasset regulation and Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), how the expansion of big tech platforms into financial services is causing regulatory concern around potential anti-competitive behaviour, and how regulators are preparing for a world in which digital financial services could, theoretically, be delivered from anywhere.
As sustainable finance regulation develops, regulators continue to target better data and harmonised reporting standards for environmental objectives. However, initial policy work is also in progress on defining 鈥渟ocially sustainable鈥� (the S in ESG) 鈥� it is likely that an EU 鈥淪鈥� Taxonomy will present even more difficulties than the 鈥淓鈥�.
More established frameworks also present new challenges聽鈥� the European Commission鈥檚 October 2021 proposal to implement remaining Basel reforms is prompting varied reactions from market participants and supervisors, including the ECB聽鈥� read more below.
Financial Stability Board 2022 Work Programme
Priority areas of work and new initiatives:
- Supporting international cooperation and coordination on current financial stability issues, including the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the lessons learned from the impact of COVID-19
- Enhancing the resilience of non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI), while preserving its benefits, including continuing work on open-ended funds (OEFs), margining practices, the liquidity, structure and resilience of core bond markets, and USD funding and emerging market economy vulnerabilities
- Enhancing cross-border payments by implementing actions under the roadmap
- Harnessing the benefits of digital innovation while containing its risks, including the regulation and supervision of stablecoins and unbacked crypto-assets, and considering risks arising from decentralised finance (DeFi)
- Addressing climate-related financial risks by coordinating international work through the FSB鈥檚 roadmap
Continuing financial stability work:
- Cyber and operational resilience聽鈥� including work on third-party risk management and outsourcing and encouraging greater convergence in cyber incident reporting
- Enhancing central counterparty (CCP) resilience, recovery and resolvability
- Completing resolution reforms聽鈥� including the conduct of resolution planning and resolvability assessments, the availability and allocation of loss-absorbing resources and the access to funding in resolution
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Michelle Adcock
Director, FS Regulatory Insight Centre, Risk and Regulatory Advisory
乐鱼(Leyu)体育官网 in the UK