The European Securities and Markets Authority has opened a call for evidence on shortening the settlement cycle in the EU. The existing EU settlement cycle for trades in transferable securities executed on trading venues is by no later than the second business day after the trade takes place, known as T+2. Responses to the call for evidence may be submitted by December 15, 2023. ESMA will report to the European Commission during 2024, although an earlier report may be produced if ESMA considers that regulatory action is needed in response to the move to T+1 or T+0 in other jurisdictions.

ESMA is asking for feedback from financial market participants on the impact on their operations of a reduced securities settlement cycle to T+1 or T+0, what benefits and costs it would bring, and how and when a shorter settlement cycle could be achieved. ESMA considers that the EU landscape is more complex than that in other jurisdictions because there is no centralized EU post-trade financial markets infrastructure and no harmonized securities law. Finally, ESMA seeks input on the impact of developments in other jurisdictions, such as the intended move by the U.S. and Canada to T+1 in mid-2024 and the U.K.'s assessment of changing to T+1 or T+0, an initial report on which is expected by the end of this year (announced as part of the Edinburgh Reforms which are discussed in our client note, "UK Government Publishes Edinburgh Reforms for Financial Services").

The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority is consulting on its proposed rules for securitization markets, which will replace many of the firm-facing requirements under the existing U.K. Securitization Regulation. The U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority is separately consulting on its own equivalent rules for PRA-authorized firms, which together with the FCA's rules will create a coherent regime for securitizations. The regulators are being handed the power to make these rules under HM Treasury's proposed reforms to the U.K. securitization regime, which will repeal the existing U.K. Securitization Regulation, keeping part of the regime in new legislation and the remainder in the regulators' rulebooks.

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HM Treasury has published a consultation on the establishment of a financial market infrastructure sandbox, known as the Digital Securities Sandbox. The sandbox will be established using new powers granted by the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (which we discuss in our client note, "A Boost for UK Financial Services"), empowering HM Treasury to set up individual FMI sandboxes. The sandboxes are designed to enhance understanding of the use cases for emerging digital asset technologies, including distributed ledger technology. HM Treasury can modify or disapply legislation and rules within the sandbox to permit different technologies to be tested that would not be possible under the existing legislative and regulatory framework, with the potential to make permanent changes to legislation based on the findings of the sandbox.

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HM Treasury has published a response to its consultation on the future of U.K. retail disclosures. HM Treasury's consultation (which we discussed in our client note, "UK Government Publishes Edinburgh Reforms for Financial Services") identified various problems with the Packaged Retail and Insurance-Based Investment Products Regulation which currently governs disclosures for complex retail investment products. These included that the PRIIPs regime could be overly prescriptive and potentially misleading in its attempts to make PRIIPs products comparable and that the rules were spread across a mixture of legislation and regulatory rules which led to a complex environment for firms.

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HM Treasury has published a near-final draft statutory instrument and related Policy Note setting out its proposed reforms to the U.K. securitization regime. Comments on the draft S.I. can be submitted until August 21, 2023. The final S.I. will be laid before Parliament before the end of 2023.

The PRA is separately consulting on proposed rules to replace its retained EU law securitization requirements for PRA-authorized firms. Responses to the PRA's consultation should be submitted by October 30, 2023. The FCA will publish a consultation on its securitization rules on August 7, 2023.

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Following rigorous debate in Parliament, the U.K.'s latest Financial Services and Markets Act (FSM Act) received royal assent on June 29, 2023. The FSM Act significantly changes the U.K.'s regulatory framework for financial services, implementing the government's post-Brexit Future Regulatory Framework Review and the Edinburgh Reforms. The existing regulatory model under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 has been enhanced with the introduction of a new "Designated Activities Regime" for the regulation of activities related to the financial markets, transfer to the U.K. regulators of responsibility for making and reviewing detailed firm rules, subject to enhanced oversight by Parliament and HM Treasury, and the establishment of a regulatory framework for oversight of third parties that provide critical services to financial institutions.

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HM Treasury has published a near-final draft statutory instrument and related Policy Note setting out its proposed reforms to the U.K. prospectus regime. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has also published a series of six Engagement Papers seeking views on its proposed rules under the new regime.

Once the new U.K. regime is finalized, the retained EU Prospectus Regulation will be repealed under the revocation framework established by the U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (which we discuss in our client note, "A Boost for U.K. Financial Services: The U.K. Financial Services and Markets Act 2023").

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On June 7, 2023, the U.K. government published a statutory instrument (the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) (Amendment) Order 2023 (FP (Amendment) Order) and related explanatory memorandum) amending the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (FPO). The amendments broadly reflect HM Treasury's final proposals on cryptoasset financial promotions, published in January 2022. The expanded financial promotions regime will apply from October 8, 2023, an implementation period of four months as opposed to the originally proposed six, given recent market volatility. The new regime will capture promotions for "qualifying cryptoassets" with respect to the following (existing) controlled activities:

• dealing in securities and contractually based investments;
• arranging deals in investments;
• managing investments;
• advising on investments; and
• agreeing to carry on any of the above activities.

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On June 8, 2023, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority published its final Policy Statement setting out detailed rules for the U.K.'s cryptoasset financial promotions regime. The Policy Statement follows the publication on June 7, 2023 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) (Amendment) Order 2023 (FP (Amendment) Order), which will bring the promotion of certain cryptoasset activities within the U.K.'s financial promotions regime. The FCA's rules will apply from October 8, 2023 (the same date that cryptoassets are brought within the financial promotions regime under the FP (Amendment) Order).

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On May 24, 2023, the European Commission published a Retail Investment Strategy package aimed at enhancing retail investor protections across the EU and encouraging participation in the EU capital markets. The package comprises an amending Directive, which makes changes across a range of EU legislation, and an amending Regulation, which revises the EU's Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation.

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Following its consultation in 2022, on February 9, 2023 the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce published a Legal Statement on the issuance and transfer of digital securities under English private law.

Digital securities are shares, bonds and other debt securities which are constituted by reference to a blockchain or distributed ledger. English law is commonly used as the governing law of choice for conventional debt securities in international markets. Seeking to provide legal certainty on the use of digital securities, the Legal Statement concludes that English law can support the issuance and transfer of digital bonds on a public blockchain without custodians, and the on-chain transfer of digital equity securities.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has published its Final Report and draft Regulatory Technical Standards amending the cash penalty process for cleared transactions under the EU Central Securities Depositories Regulation. The settlement discipline regime under the EU CSDR, supplemented in EU Regulatory Technical Standards, provides measures for preventing settlement fails. CSDR and the RTS also provide measures for monitoring and addressing settlement fails when they do occur, such as a mechanism for cash penalties (which has applied since February 1, 2022) and a mandatory buy-in process.

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The U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce has published a consultation on the issuance and transfer of "digital securities" under English law. Digital securities are shares, bonds and other debt securities which are constituted by reference to a blockchain or distributed ledger. English law is commonly used as the governing law of choice for conventional debt securities in international markets, but a question arises as to whether English law can support the issuance and transfer of digital securities. The UKJT intends to publish a legal statement on the subject in December 2022.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published its final Policy Statement and Rules on financial promotions of high-risk investments and firms approving financial promotions. Many of these changes address or build upon recommendations of the Gloster Report or are otherwise related to the fallout from the London Capital & Finance plc scandal. The rules on risk warnings for financial promotions of high-risk investments will apply from December 1, 2022, and all other rules will apply from February 1, 2023. The FCA's related guidance (which is included in Annex 2 of the Policy Statement) will also apply from February 2023.

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The U.K. government has published the much anticipated Financial Services and Markets Bill. Following its exit from the EU, the U.K. has undertaken a fundamental review of how financial regulation policy and rules should be made, reviewed and established in law, particularly in light of the return of the U.K.'s sovereignty. Furthermore, there has been a substantial assessment of the U.K.'s financial services rules and regulations, with some areas warranting further consideration. The Bill implements the outcomes of the Future Regulatory Framework Review, which assessed whether the U.K. financial services regulatory framework is fit for purpose and able to support future growth, particularly in light of challenges such as Brexit and climate change. On the same day, HM Treasury published its response to the final consultation in the FRF Review. The FSM Bill establishes a revised blueprint for financial services regulation by revamping the existing model under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and revoking retained EU law in financial services. The regulators will be delegated powers for detailed rulemaking, and as a result, become subject to enhanced Parliamentary oversight.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has opened a consultation in which it proposes to amend the cash penalty process for cleared transactions under the EU Central Securities Depositories Regulation. The EU CSDR provides a harmonized regulatory and prudential regime for central securities depositories and increases the robustness and resilience of securities settlement arrangements. The settlement discipline regime, set out in EU Regulatory Technical Standards, provides measures for preventing settlement fails through automated matching, a hold and release mechanism and partial settlement. CSDR and the RTS also provide measures for monitoring and addressing settlement fails, such as a mechanism for cash penalties and a mandatory buy-in process. The settlement discipline rules have applied since February 1, 2022.

ESMA is proposing to amend the RTS to remove the obligation on CCPs to collect and distribute penalties for cleared transactions. Instead, CSDs will operate the entire collection and distribution process for penalties (i.e., for cleared and uncleared trades). In terms of timing, ESMA is considering a six-month implementation delay to give industry time to test arrangements in their cash penalties processes. Responses to the consultation may be provided by September 9, 2022.

Following the Queen's speech yesterday, the government has published a briefing pack setting out details of the bills that it intends to introduce, including the so-called Brexit Freedoms Bill as well as key legislation relevant to financial services. The government will introduce a Financial Services and Markets Bill, which will, among other things:

• Introduce new statutory objectives for the financial services regulators to support growth and international competitiveness.
• Implement the changes to the wholesale markets arising out of the Wholesale Markets Review. HM Treasury confirmed in March of this year that the changes that will be made by legislation and where powers will be delegated to the financial services regulators for rules to be made. Among the changes are the removal of the share trading obligation and the double volume cap, changes to the derivatives trading obligation, taking OTC derivatives that are economically equivalent to exchange traded commodity derivatives out of the position limits regime, and the establishment of a consolidated tape.

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Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, delivered the Queen’s speech in which he announced that the government will be introducing the so-called Brexit Freedoms Bill, which was first announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on January 31, 2022, and is intended to make it easier to amend or remove retained EU laws to better suit the U.K.’s circumstances and policies. The Brexit Freedoms Bill will work in tandem with a government drive to reform, repeal and replace EU laws that are seen as outdated, cumbersome or otherwise not in the U.K.’s national interest.

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The International Organization of Securities Commissions is seeking feedback on two IOSCO reports: the first on drivers of liquidity in corporate bond markets during COVID-19 induced market stresses and the second on good practices for the regulation of exchange traded funds.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has published a report on its review of certain aspects of the EU Short Selling Regulation. The review was prompted by the volume of short selling that occurred around the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and national regulators' responses to it. ESMA also considered the possibility in Europe of high volatility in so-called "meme-stocks" (stocks which gain popularity through social media.

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Following its consultation last year, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published its final policy and rule amendments on the scope of the rules governing packaged retail and insurance-based investment products (or PRIIPs). The FCA had aimed to bring in the new rules by January 1, 2022. Instead, the final rules and Regulatory Technical Standards will apply from March 25, 2022. Firms will have until December 31, 2022 to apply the new requirements. These changes are designed to bring legal certainty to the scope of the PRIIPs regime, as it applies to corporate bonds, and mitigate risks relating to misleading performance scenarios and summary risk indicators and concerns about the transaction costs calculation methodology. It is hoped that the amendments will promote liquidity and improve choice in the retail corporate bond market, and also reduce the complexity of key information documents (or KIDs), the key information disclosure documents that must accompany PRIIPs when they are made available to retail investors.

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Following its consultation last year, HM Treasury has set out its policy approach to amending the U.K. Prospectus regime. The current U.K. Prospectus Regulation will be replaced by legislation when parliamentary time allows. The changes will, among other things, separate the regulation of public offers of securities from the regulation of admissions of securities to trading, as Lord Hill recommended. In addition, the Financial Conduct Authority will be granted greater responsibility for the detail of the new regime through rules. The complete set of reforms will only apply once those rules are implemented. The main changes are set out below.

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A Commission Delegated Regulation, published in the Official Journal of the European Union, amends the EU Short Selling Regulation to make permanent the lower notification threshold for notifying national regulators of net short positions held in the shares of companies traded on EU regulated markets. The threshold for notification will be 0.1% of the issued share capital of the company in question and each 0.1% above that. The lower threshold will apply from January 31, 2022.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published a statement in which it confirms that it will amend the Technical Standards and related Handbook provisions to align with the extended exemption from the requirements of the U.K. Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation for investment companies and persons advising on, or selling, units in UCITS from December 31, 2021, to December 31, 2026. The FCA states that it will not take enforcement action against firms that offer UCITS funds to U.K. retail investors and that provide either a key information document under the PRIIPs Regulation or a UCITS key investor information document. Following the government's announcement in June 2021, the Financial Services Act 2021 extended the exemption for UCITS.

An EU Commission Delegated Regulation (2021/2268) amending the Regulatory Technical Standards supplementing the EU Packaged Retail Investment and Insurance-based Products Regulation has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The amending RTS include provisions to:

• Introduce new methodologies to calculate appropriate performance scenarios and a revised presentation of these scenarios.
• Revise the summary cost indicators and changes to the content and presentation of information on the costs of PRIIPs.
• Modify the methodology to calculate transaction costs.
• Clarify the rules for PRIIPs offering a range of options for investment (known as MOPs), in particular, to identify the products' full cost implications.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has issued a public statement on the supervisory approach to the implementation of the buy-in regime under the EU Central Securities Depositories Regulation. The EU CSDR provides a harmonized regulatory and prudential regime for central securities depositories and increases the robustness and resilience of securities settlement arrangements. The settlement discipline regime is set out in EU Regulatory Technical Standards. The RTS cover measures for preventing settlement fails through automated matching, a hold and release mechanism and partial settlement. CSDR and the RTS also provide measures for monitoring and addressing settlement fails, such as a mechanism for cash penalties and a mandatory buy-in process. The application date of the settlement discipline rules has been postponed several times, most recently, citing the coronavirus pandemic, to delay the application date to February 1, 2022.

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The FCA has published two policy statements introducing new rules and guidance on climate-related disclosures for standard listed issuers and certain other FCA-regulated firms. The Policy Statements mirror the rule imposed under the FCA's Policy Statement on climate-related disclosures for premium listed issuers.

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Following its call for evidence earlier this year, HM Treasury has published its report on the review of the U.K. Securitization Regulation. HM Treasury was required to conduct a review of the functioning of the Regulation and report to Parliament on its findings by January 2022. The Securitization Regulation provides the criteria for identifying which securitizations will be designated as "simple, transparent and standardized" (STS) securitizations, a system to monitor the application of those criteria as well as common requirements on risk retention, due diligence and disclosure. Related provisions under the Capital Requirements Regulation set out the regulatory treatment of exposures to securitizations that are deemed to be STS securitizations.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published a Policy Statement and final changes to the Listing Rules following its Primary Market Effectiveness Review consultation. The changes become effective on December 3, 2021 and mark a significant step in the reform of the U.K.'s listing regime. The amendments follow on from the changes to the listing rules made in August 2021 to remove from SPACs the automatic suspension of listing that they previously faced when undertaking their de-SPAC transaction. The amendments follow the Lord Hill Listing Review and Kalifa FinTech Review, both of which urged the U.K. Government implement significant reform to the U.K.'s listing regime, to make it more attractive to issuers (especially tech startups) and investors and to bring it into line with recent changes and the capital markets flexibility that its competitors - in Asia and the U.S. - already offer. We discussed the broad range of the Listing and FinTech Reviews' proposals in our UK Listing Regime Reform briefing.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has issued a statement on the requirements under the EU Market Abuse Regulation for firms and individuals that make investment recommendations on social media.  ESMA is concerned about the potential harm to retail investors who may base their investment decisions on information made available on social media sites, in particular in situations such as the Gamestop case.  The EU rules, which are designed to prevent the misleading of investors, apply to anyone based in or outside the EU that distributes information proposing an investment decision about EU financial instruments listed in the EU or financial instruments that depend on or effect the price or value of a listed financial instrument. 

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The International Organization of Securities Commissions has published an updated Principles on Outsourcing for regulated market participants in the securities markets.  The updated Principles are based on IOSCO’s 2005 Outsourcing Principles for Market Intermediaries and 2009 Outsourcing Principles for Markets.  However, the updated Principles will also apply to trading venues, market intermediaries, market participants acting on a proprietary basis, and credit rating agencies.  Financial market infrastructures may also choose to consider their application, although the Principles are not addressed to those entities.

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The European Supervisory Authorities have launched a call for evidence on the EU's Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation. The PRIIPs Regulation requires manufacturers of PRIIPs to produce a standardized Key Information Document in an official language of all EU countries into which offerings are made. It also requires those advising on or selling PRIIPs to provide retail investors with KIDs in good time before the investor enters into the investment. The call for evidence closes on December 16, 2021.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published its annual Perimeter Report. The report discusses the FCA's existing remit and highlights areas where potential consumer harm could be mitigated if the regulatory perimeter is amended. The FCA cannot amend the perimeter, this can only be achieved through legislation.

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HM Treasury has announced the U.K. Secondary Capital Raising Review, requesting recommendations on improving the U.K. capital raising process for publicly traded companies. The Review stems from Lord Hill's recommendations in the U.K. Listing Review, published in March 2021, which proposed that consideration should be given to improving the efficiency of further capital raisings by listed issuers, including by re-establishing the Rights Issue Review Group and assessing capital raising models used in other jurisdictions.

A Call for Evidence has been issued, as the first step in the Review, calling for feedback on the key themes of the Review, including:

• Reduction of the overall duration and cost of the existing U.K. rights issue process and how that could be achieved.
• The role that new technology plays in the process to ensure that shareholders receive relevant information in a timely fashion and can exercise their rights.
• Fund-raising models in other jurisdictions that should be considered for use in the U.K.
• Improved transparency introduced by the Short Selling Regulation.
• The potential for refining the undocumented secondary capital raising process.

Responses to the Call for Evidence may be submitted until November 16, 2021.

The European Securities and Markets Authority has published a letter to the European Commission urging the Commission to delay the buy-in regime under the Central Securities Depositories Regulation. The EU CSDR provides a harmonized regulatory and prudential regime for central securities depositories and increases the robustness and resilience of securities settlement arrangements. The Commission consulted in 2020 on proposals to improve securities settlement in the EU and on central securities depositories, and legislative proposals are expected before the end of 2021.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority is consulting on proposed amendments to the EU Short Selling Regulation. ESMA is reviewing the SSR provisions following two occurrences of market volatility. The first is the market reactions to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related regulatory response where numerous and varied short sale bans were imposed by various EU member states. The second is the market turmoil in the U.S. markets and elsewhere for so-called meme stocks, such as Gamestop. Responses to the consultation may be submitted by November 19, 2021, and ESMA is expected to publish its report to the European Commission early in 2022.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has opened a consultation on proposals to amend the requirements on diversity and inclusion on listed company boards and executive committees. The proposals include changes to the Listing Rules and the Disclosure and Transparency Rules, including guidance. The consultation closes on October 20, 2021. The FCA intends to publish final rules before the end of 2021 and for the new requirements to apply to accounting periods starting on or after January 1, 2022. This means that annual financial reports published for 2022 in spring 2023 would include the reporting changes.

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Following its consultation earlier this year, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published final changes to its listing rules for special purpose acquisition companies that will come into effect on August 10, 2021. SPACs are companies set up for the purpose of raising money from investors to fund the acquisition of an operating business. They have attracted much attention over the last year as an alternative way for target companies to go public without going through the traditional initial public offering process. The initial decision to adjust the U.K. approach to SPACs was one of the recommendations made by Lord Hill in the U.K. Listings Review.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published proposals to amend the scope of the rules governing packaged retail and insurance-based investment products (or PRIIPs). The FCA's proposals are designed to bring legal certainty to the scope of the PRIIPs regime, as it applies to corporate bonds. The consultation also addresses issues of misleading performance scenarios and summary risk indicators and concerns about the transaction costs calculation methodology. It is hoped that the amendments will promote liquidity and improve choice in the retail corporate bond market and also reduce the complexity of key information documents (or KIDs), the key information disclosure documents that must accompany PRIIPs when they are made available to retail investors.

Responses to the FCA's PRIIPs consultation should be submitted by September 30, 2021. The FCA is aiming to finalize the amendments by the end of this year and for the changes to take effect on January 1, 2022.

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HM Treasury has announced a new independent group, called the Green Technical Advisory Group, to help tackle “greenwashing” and create a U.K. green taxonomy. “Greenwashing” refers to unsubstantiated or exaggerated claims that an investment is environmentally friendly. GTAG’s main remit is to advise HM Treasury on developing and implementing a U.K. green taxonomy, comprising technical screening criteria. GTAG consists of financial services industry representatives, non-financial services representatives, taxonomy and climate experts. HM Treasury, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England will be observers. GTAG is expected to provide initial recommendations to HM Treasury as early as September of this year.

View the GTAG Terms of Reference. 

The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has launched a consultation on changes to the U.K. listing regime. This consultation follows the recommendations made by Lord Hill in the U.K. Listing Review as well as the Kalifa Review of FinTech. Responses to the consultation may be submitted until September 14, 2021.

The U.K. government is currently consulting on changes to the U.K. prospectus regime, having launched the U.K. Prospectus Review last week.

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The U.K. government has begun a consultation on proposals to reform the U.K. prospectus regime. This much anticipated consultation sets out proposals based on the important recommendations made in the U.K. Listing Review, which was chaired by Lord Hill. Responses to the consultation should be submitted by September 24, 2021.

The final changes to the prospectus regime will be made through legislation and the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority, following consultation. The existing U.K. Prospectus Regulation will be replaced, in whole or part, by FCA rules.

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HM Treasury has opened a Review of the U.K. Securitization Regulation with the issue of a call for evidence. The Review is required under the Regulation, and HM Treasury must report to Parliament on its findings by January 2022. Responses to the consultation may be submitted until September 2, 2021. HM Treasury also asks respondents to consider whether any changes are needed that are time-sensitive so that consideration can be given to whether a change is implemented through legislation or regulator rules. In the context of the Future Regulatory Framework Review, the responsibility for making and implementing rules will be transferred to the regulators. The FRF Review is ongoing, with a second consultation expected later this year.

The Securitization Regulation provides the criteria for identifying which securitizations will be designated as "simple, transparent and standardized" (STS) securitizations, a system to monitor the application of those criteria as well as common requirements on risk retention, due diligence and disclosure. Related provisions under the Capital Requirements Regulation set out the regulatory treatment of exposures to securitizations that are deemed to be STS securitizations.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published two consultation papers that set out new proposals on climate-related disclosure rules for listed companies and certain regulated firms. The proposals follow the introduction of climate-related disclosure rules for the most prominent listed commercial companies in December 2020 that are aligned with the recommendations of the global Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. Responses to the consultations may be submitted until September 10, 2021. The FCA is aiming to publish its final rules and policy statements for these proposals by the end of the year.

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The Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform has published its report, making several recommendations for reforming the U.K.'s approach to regulation as well as practical suggestions for implementing the reforms. The main recommendation tasks the government with building a U.K. regulatory framework that has proportionality at its core and that is based on the principles of the common law. The report also provides specific proposals for regulatory reforms across several sectors, identified as high growth sectors, including the financial services sector. The TIGRR recommendations will be progressed by the newly established Brexit Opportunities Unit, which is being led by Lord Frost, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office. Consultations on proposals to implement these ambitious recommendations are expected later this year.

The TIGRR report recommends the approach to regulation is reformed along traditional common law lines, moving away from the EU codified system. The report suggests that the government reconsiders the approach to regulation with the aim of enhancing productivity, encouraging competition and invigorating innovation.

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Following the commitment by the government in its 2019 Economic Crime Plan to investigate the links between listings and national security, HM Treasury has launched a consultation in which it proposes to introduce a power for it to block listings on national security grounds. The government has assessed that there is a "remote but possible risk" that a company listing in the U.K. could harm the nation's security and that this risk needs to be addressed. Responses to the consultation may be submitted until August 27, 2021.

It is proposed that the scope of this power will include all initial equity listings and admissions on U.K. public markets. The power would not apply to secondary trading and would not include listed debt, other than certain convertible securities. Therefore, the power could be applied to: (i) shares, securities representing equity such as Global Depositary Receipts and convertible securities; (ii) regulated markets and MTFs, including the SME Growth Markets, that allow primary equity listings; and (iii) initial public offerings and non-traditional listings structures, such as introductions and Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs). The power would also not apply to delisting already listed companies.

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The EU's Technical Expert Stakeholder Group on SMEs has published a report, including a set of recommendations to improve the capacity of SMEs to access the capital markets. It remains to be seen how much of these the Commission and other legislative bodies will take on board. Some of the recommendations echo those of the report by Lord Hill on the U.K. Listings Review, the focus of which was how to amend the U.K.'s listing regime to ensure the continued attractiveness of the U.K. as a capital markets hub (rather than focusing on SME's).

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has published a letter addressed to the European Commission making recommendations for inclusion in the Commission's Review of CSDR. The EU Central Securities Depositaries Regulation provides a harmonized regulatory and prudential regime for central securities depositories and increases the robustness and resilience of securities settlement arrangements. There is a single market for CSD services across the EU and a third-country equivalence regime for CSDs. ESMA's recommendations include:
 

1. That the Target2-Securities system, a systemically important common settlement platform, providing settlement services in central bank money for the majority of EEA CSDs, be brought within the scope of CSDR.
2. Amendment of the supervision arrangements for T2S. Currently, the European Central Bank oversees T2S, alongside a cooperative framework based on a memorandum of understanding between the ECB, ESMA, the national competent authorities of the CSDs participating in T2S, and the central banks overseeing the CSDs. ESMA considers that CSDR should provide for a cooperative arrangement for supervision/oversight of T2S in the form of a college of supervisors, with clear roles for the participating authorities.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has launched a consultation on proposed changes to its listing rules for special purpose acquisition companies. SPACs are companies set up for the purpose of raising money from investors to fund the acquisition of an operating business. They have attracted much attention over the last year as an alternative way for target companies to go public without going through the traditional initial public offering process.

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The U.K. Government has announced plans to boost the U.K.'s fintech and financial services sectors. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak outlined the plans at U.K. FinTech Week, describing the government's vision for a greener and more technologically advanced financial services sector. The Government's announcement builds on the recommendations in the recent Kalifa Review of U.K. Fintech and Lord Hill's Review of the U.K. Listing Regime.

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