Esma faces uphill battle to emerge as European SEC
In an interview with Investment Officer, Esma chair Verena Ross outlined her vision and the significant challenges ahead as the regulatory body aims to become Europe’s equivalent to the US SEC.
Washington is rewinding the clock on investor protection
Washington is rewinding the clock on investor protection. Under chair Paul Atkins, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has rolled back a series of rules, scaled back enforcement and curtailed shareholder rights. According to former senior counsel Benjamin Schiffrin, who spent nearly two decades at the agency, the regulator is now siding more with Wall Street than with investors.
For EU regulation, 2026 is the year of supervisory friction
EU financial regulation in 2026 will mean tougher scrutiny from supervisors and fewer new rules. With major frameworks on fund regulation, anti-money laundering, sustainability and market structure largely in place, the focus is shifting from lawmaking to enforcement. Across liquidity management, delegation and distribution, AML oversight and transparency requirements, experts see firms entering a year shaped by supervisory interpretation and uneven application.
CSSF questions robustness of valuation practices
Valuation sits at the heart of Luxembourg’s private markets ecosystem, yet supervisors remain unconvinced that current practices are consistently robust. Speaking at an event organised by Kroll and the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry, the CSSF flagged shortcomings in the review and approval of valuation models at investment fund managers, underlining that governance, documentation and independent challenge still require closer attention as private assets continue to scale.
Luxembourg renews Claude Marx’s mandate as CSSF chief
Luxembourg has renewed the mandate of Claude Marx as director general of its financial regulator, extending his leadership of the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier for another five years as the authority marks a decade of profound institutional change.
Enforcement and transparency weigh on Europe’s AML scores
De Europese antiwitwaskaders behoren formeel tot de meest uitgebreide ter wereld, maar in de uitvoering blijven er kwetsbaarheden bestaan, zo blijkt uit de Basel AML Index 2025.
Simplification push by ESMA risks raising costs before relief
The European Union’s push to simplify financial reporting faces a complex reality, with industry leaders warning that streamlining requirements will likely hike costs before delivering relief.
CSSF says fund industry ‘maturing’ on WMD risks
Luxembourg’s financial regulator CSSF has concluded that investment fund managers are increasingly aware of the risks associated with the financing of weapons of mass destruction, yet many of their internal safeguards remain underdeveloped.
ESMA warns on high costs in fund distribution
Almost half of European fund investors’ costs go to distribution, according to a new report by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
CSSF chief warns financial sector risks missing the AI revolution
Claude Marx, head of Luxembourg’s financial regulator CSSF, has sent a stark warning to the financial sector: Europe’s banks and asset managers are already falling behind in the race to adopt artificial intelligence. “We are facing an economic revolution and we should embrace it,” he said.