Laws and Regulations

Luxembourg’s financial sector grapples with a stark wake-up call as concerns mount over its nonchalant stance towards impending cyber regulations outlined in the Dora Act; a prominent politician’s apprehensions highlight critical questions surrounding banks’ preparedness and the looming specter of potential sanctions.

Imagine a groundbreaking European savings and investment product, open to all 450 million individuals across the European Union, supported by a harmonised tax incentive endorsed by every EU member state. Wishful thinking? Probably so, but maybe not.

Luxembourg’s CSSF financial regulator on 20 February announced that in late 2023, it had imposed a nearly half-million euro administrative fine on Mizuho Trust & Banking (Luxembourg) S.A.

The 17 November 2023 fine of 444,400 euros was imposed for non-compliance with professional obligations under Luxembourg’s financial sector law relating to governance and IT organisation. 

Tokenisation is the next step for the asset management industry. So says not only Larry Fink, Blackrock’s CEO, but also Jeroen van Oerle, manager of Lombard Odier’s fintech strategy. He sees the potential impact mainly in private markets.

Luxembourg investment firms will have to provide annual self-certifications on key aspects of central administration, internal governance and risk management, according to a new rule introduced by financial supervisor CSSF.

A focus on sustainability, digital resilience, and regulatory compliance will significantly influence investment strategies and operations, demanding heightened vigilance and adaptability from global asset managers. As Investment Officer Knowledge Partners, Tom Loonen, Lous Vervuurt and Jan Saalfrank at Pinsent Masons review key developments in Luxembourg and Dutch fund matters.

The European Commission is contemplating an alternative route towards a swift adoption the EU’s regulatory and technical standards for the forthcoming generation of European Long-Term Investment Funds under the new Eltif 2.0 regulation.

While Wall Street is pulling out all the stops to curb ‘Basel III Endgame’, private lenders are in pole position for implementation of the banking rules. The price at which US big banks can borrow money will be skillfully undercut by private credit funds, but critics in the banking sector denounce the lack of effective supervision of the ‘non-bank’ lenders.  

The trade association representing Europe’s fund and asset management sector has urged the executive body of the European Union to ensure that the correct technical standards are introduced. These standards are regarded as vital for the success of the new regime for European Long Term Investment Funds, known as Eltif 2.0.

European financial services had witnessed a marked decline in global market share over the past 15 years, particularly within the asset management sector. While reviewing the competitiveness of Europe’s financial sector, OMFIF and Luxembourg for Finance have identified Europe’s strengths and weaknesses.