The Presidency of the Council of the European Union has issued a note inviting Ministers of the Permanent Representatives Committee to consider certain issues regarding the EU anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing framework. In July 2019, the European Commission published a Communication and a series of reports assessing the EU implementation of EU AML and CTF requirements and discussing whether further action is needed to improve the EU’s AML/CTF framework. In its Communication, the Commission identified certain issues that were likely to impede the effectiveness of the framework.

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The U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority has launched a consultation on its proposed expectations of how firms manage prudential risks associated with asset encumbrance. The PRA’s expectations are relevant to all PRA-authorized firms, other than credit unions and insurance firms. Responses should be submitted by January 17, 2020.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has issued a call for evidence on the impact of its product intervention powers prohibiting the marketing, distribution and sale of binary options to retail clients and imposing restrictions upon contracts for difference that were marketed, distributed or sold to retail clients. ESMA is seeking feedback from all interested stakeholders, in particular investment firms and banks providing investment services (particularly those that provide CfDs or binary options captured by the product intervention measures) and consumer groups and investors. Responses should be submitted by November 4, 2019.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has finalized new rules governing certain types of open-ended funds that invest in inherently illiquid assets.

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The European Commission's Technical Expert Group has published a final report on EU climate benchmarks and benchmark Environmental, Social and Governance disclosures. The Commission set up the TEG on Sustainable Finance when it published its legislative proposal for amending the EU Benchmark Regulation as part of its action plan on Sustainable Finance. The proposed legislation will create two new categories of low carbon benchmarks: the EU Climate Transition Benchmark (EU CTB) and the EU Paris-aligned Benchmark (EU PAB). It also includes ESG disclosure requirements for all investment benchmarks. The final text of the proposal has been agreed and it is expected to be published in October/November 2019.

The TEG report provides technical advice to the Commission on: (i) the minimum ESG disclosure requirements for all benchmarks, except interest rates and currency benchmarks, and specific ESG disclosure requirements for EU CTBs and EU PABs; and (ii) the minimum technical requirements for the methodology of EU CTBs and EU PABs. In addition, the report includes recommendations on other areas of work that are connected to the benchmark ESG disclosures, such as the proposed EU Classification System of Sustainable Activities (i.e. the EU Taxonomy) and changes to the disclosure requirements in the Markets in Financial Instruments package to take into account ESG disclosures.

View the report.

The U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority has published a Policy Statement and final rules on resolution assessments and reporting amendments under the Senior Managers and Certification Regime. The PRA also published updated versions of "Strengthening individual accountability in banking" (SS28/15) and "Senior Managers Regime form: Statement of Responsibilities". The changes will take effect on December 9, 2019. The PRA has made minor changes to the drafting to take into account feedback and the measures announced on July 31, 2019 on resolvability assessments for all U.K. banks. The changes to the prescribed responsibility for recovery plans and resolution packs will impact U.K. banks and building societies with £50 billion or more in retail deposits. The changes to the Statement of Responsibilities will affect all PRA-regulated firms, unless they will not be subject to resolvability assessments in future.

View the Policy Statement.

View the updated rules and documentation.

View details of the final resolvability assessment framework for all U.K. banks.

The European Banking Authority has published its 2020 Work Programme. The Programme details six strategic areas of focus for 2020 and these are:
 

1. Support the development of the risk reduction package and the implementation of the global standards in the EU. The EBA will work on developing level 2 legislation required by the revised Capital Requirements Regulation and Directive, the revised Bank Recovery & Resolution Directive and the new Covered Bonds Directive and Investment Firm Regulation and related Directive (the latter two have not yet entered into force). The EBA will continue to work on the implementation of the market risk requirements, following the finalization of the Basel Committee on Banking Standard's fundamental review of the trading book (FRTB). In particular, in 2020, the EBA anticipates implementing the reporting requirement and certain aspects of the FRTB revisions for the internal model approach and for the treatment of non-trading book positions subject to FX or commodity risk. Another priority will be finalization of the EBA's roadmap for the internal ratings-based approach for calculating minimum capital requirements for credit risk.
2. Providing efficient methodologies and tools for supervisory convergence and stress testing. The EBA intends to consult on Pillar 2 changes during 2020 and will conduct the 2020 stress test for EU banks.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has updated the directions under the temporary transitional power granted to it in preparation for a no-deal Brexit. The TTP was granted to the U.K. regulators under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 as a means of granting transitional relief from regulatory requirements where the requirements have been introduced or have changed as a result of onshoring financial services legislation. In July 2019, the FCA announced an extension of its use of the TTP from June 30, 2020 to December 31, 2020 in light of the change to the date that the U.K. was due to leave the EU to October 31, 2019. The updated directions reflect that extension as well as prudential instruments that have been published since the draft directions were originally published in March 2019.

View the FCA's press release and the related documentation.

The International Organization of Securities Commissions has published a report, "Thematic Review on Suitability Requirements with respect to the Distribution of Complex Financial Products". The report summarizes the outcome of the review IOSCO undertook of a sample of member jurisdictions' implementation of the IOSCO 2013 Suitability Requirements for the Distribution of Complex Financial Products, which aims to prevent mis-selling of complex products. The Suitability requirements comprise nine principles relating to classification of customers, general duties regardless of customer classification, disclosure requirements, customers protections, incentives and enforcement.

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The European Banking Authority has launched a consultation on its proposed simple, transparent and standardized framework for synthetic securitization. The paper also seeks feedback from stakeholders on a proposed list of criteria that should be considered when labeling a synthetic securitization an STS and on the introduction of different regulatory treatments for STS synthetic securitizations. The EBA will hold a public hearing on October 9, 2019 and responses to the consultation should be provided by November 25, 2019.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has confirmed in a letter to the European Commission that it considers it inadvisable to conduct an annual review in 2019 of the Regulatory Technical Standards on the transparency requirements for trading venues and investment firms for bonds, structured finance products, emission allowances and derivatives (sometimes referred to as RTS 2). The requirement for an annual review is stipulated in the Markets in Financial Instruments package, and ESMA's report could lead to legislative changes subjecting more bonds and derivatives to the transparency requirements. ESMA's assessment of RTS 2 would be impacted by the uncertainty arising from Brexit, in particular, the potential for a no-deal Brexit, because the outcome would vary depending on whether U.K. data was included or not.

ESMA intends to conduct its annual review before July 2020 and to determine the impact on bond market liquidity of the U.K.'s departure from the EU.

View ESMA's letter to the European Commission.

The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has appointed Sheree Howard as its new Executive Director of Risk and Compliance Oversight, replacing Barbara Frohn, who left the FCA earlier this year. Ms. Howard joined the FCA as a Senior Adviser in December 2017. Her new role as part of the Executive Committee will see her advising the FCA’s Board on the breadth of risk in the organization.
 
View the FCA's announcement.

The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published the outcome of its review of the research unbundling reforms implemented in the EU by the revised Markets in Financial Instruments Directive. MiFID II has applied across the EU since January 3, 2018. MiFID II restricts the payment or receipt of all fees, commission and non-monetary benefits ("inducements") unless these enhance the quality of service provided to a client, and do not impair an EU investment firm's duty to act in the best interests of its client. Any inducement that is a minor, non-monetary benefit is exempt from the limitation. Research provided by any third party (regardless of location) to an EU investment firm providing investment services or ancillary services will be regarded as an "inducement" and subject to the inducement prohibition, unless the research is received in return for either direct payment by the investment firm out of its own resources or payment from a separate research payment account (RPA). "Soft dollar" commissions are not allowed, unless these are done through an RPA. The rules have impacted buy-side and sell-side firms in the EU, as well as their non-EU counterparts.

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The European Economic and Social Committee has published an Opinion on the European Commission’s Reflection Paper, “Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030”, which was published earlier this year. The Commission’s Reflection Paper considers Europe’s competitive advantages in delivering sustainable development, assesses the EU and global climate change challenges that must still be tackled, and sets out policy changes and proposals that will enable the EU to adhere to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

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Following its previous two consultations, the International Swaps and Derivatives Association has launched a consultation on the proposed final parameters that will apply to alternative risk-free rates if derivatives fall backs are triggered. Responses to the consultation should be provided by October 23, 2019. ISDA will amend the 2006 ISDA Definitions based on the feedback and also intends to publish a protocol so that market participants can include fall backs in legacy IBOR contracts, if needed. Both documents are expected to be finalized before the end of 2019, ready for implementation in 2020.

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The U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority has launched a consultation on its approach to implementing the European Banking Authority's Technical Standards and Guidelines on Probability of Default estimation, Loss Given Default estimation and the treatment of defaulted exposures in the Internal Ratings Based approach to credit risk. The consultation is relevant to U.K. banks, building societies and PRA-designated U.K. investment firms. Responses to the consultation need to be submitted by December 18, 2019.

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The U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority has announced that it will provide a new waiver by consent of the Continuity of Access Rules under the Depositor Protection Part of the PRA Rulebook. The DPP Rulebook sets out rules requiring firms to ensure that eligible depositors have access to deposits covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in the event of the firm’s insolvency, by establishing systems to facilitate a transfer of such deposits (the so-called “Continuity of Access” rules).

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The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority has formally announced its provisional decision to vary the Retail Banking Market Investigation Order 2017 by removing Part 6 of the Order, which governs automatic enrollment in personal current account alerts. The CMA has published a draft of its proposed Variation Order together with its provisional decision and is seeking comments on both, which should be submitted by October 15, 2019.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published a press release announcing that it is stepping up its efforts to assist firms to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. Among other things, the FCA will be publishing a series of digital advertisements highlighting the FCA Brexit webpages, and it has set up a dedicated telephone line (0800 048 4255).

View the FCA's press release.

A U.K. statutory instrument has been published amending the existing U.K. legislation that gives effect to the EU Benchmarks Regulation. The new statutory instrument – the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Benchmarks) (Amendment) Regulations 2019 – amends the definition of a “Miscellaneous Benchmarks Person” under the existing regulation and clarifies the scope of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s powers to impose requirements on Miscellaneous Benchmark Persons. The amendments will come into force on October 14, 2019.

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Following the publication of a discussion paper in June 2018, the U.K. Payment Systems Regulator has published its response paper on the issue of data in the payments industry. The discussion paper outlined three potential areas where data use could directly affect the PSR's statutory objectives of promoting competition and innovation. These are:

• Reluctance of end-users to share payments data with third-party providers of other payments-related services (so-called "overlay services"), due to concerns over whether their data will be treated appropriately.

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The European Banking Authority has announced that it will clarify by mid-2020 the position of instruments that were both issued and qualified as "own funds" for capital purposes before December 31, 2011. When the Capital Requirements Regulation entered into force, transitional provisions provided that these legacy instruments would also qualify as own funds instruments under the CRR, even if they did not meet the enhanced requirements for own funds introduced in that measure. The transitional period for such instruments ends on December 31, 2021. The EBA has stated that it will provide clarification on the appropriate treatment of the legacy instruments to ensure that banks maintain high quality regulatory capital and that the rules are consistently applied across the EU. The EBA confirms that it will take into account recent changes to own funds requirements in CRR II as well as other linked changes under the Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive.

View the EBA's announcement.

The U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority has published a consultation paper in which it proposes amendments to the Pre-Issuance Notification (PIN) requirements for regulatory capital instruments. The PIN requirements are applicable to PRA-authorized Capital Requirements Regulation firms and require firms to notify the PRA of certain capital instruments that they intend to issue. The PRA assesses the terms and conditions of these instruments prior to issuance, to ensure that firms maintain quality capital resources which comply with CRR. Responses to the consultation are requested by December 9, 2019.

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The U.K. High Court of Justice has ruled that the identities of the underlying lenders in a series of loans made through a peer-to-peer lending platform should not be disclosed to the claimant borrower. Milne v Open Access Finance Ltd considers a claim brought by a solicitor who took out a series of loans over several years with Open Access Finance, a peer-to-peer lender. The claimant is seeking relief from his obligation to repay the £170,000 worth of loans extended to him, damages for misleading actions contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, as well as damages under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and relief under the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

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A U.K. statutory instrument has been published to onshore the EU Prospectus Regulation in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In preparing for an April Brexit, the U.K. had onshored the EU Prospectus Directive in the Official Listing of Securities, Prospectus and Transparency (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (known as the "Official Listing instrument"). However, since then the date on which the U.K. is due to leave the EU has changed to October 31, 2019 and the EU Prospectus Directive has been repealed by the EU Prospectus Regulation (as of July 21, 2019).

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A U.K. statutory instrument has been published to further the U.K.'s financial services legislation preparations in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The statutory instrument – the Financial Services (Electronic Money, Payment Services and Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/1212) – provides for, among other things:

• amending the exit legislation that establishes temporary regimes for EEA e-money and payment services firms to ensure that firms entering the Contractual Run-Off regime can carry out the full range of activities required to discharge any pre-existing contractual obligations;
• extending the transitional provisions for third-country benchmarks in the Benchmarks (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 by three years to ensure that U.K. firms can use third-country benchmarks until the end of 2022 without the benchmarks needing to be on the Financial Conduct Authority's register;
• updating cross-references to the Capital Requirements Regulation to take into account the EU amendments to the CRR that became applicable in June 2019; and
• amending various exit instruments to correct or clarify the original text.

View the amending regulation and explanatory memorandum.

A draft U.K. statutory instrument to onshore into U.K. law, post-Brexit, the revised Capital Requirements Regulation (known as CRR II) has been published – the Capital Requirements (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (2019 No. 1232). CRR II and the revised Capital Requirements Directive were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on June 7, 2019. Subject to certain exceptions, the Regulation amending CRR will not apply directly across the EU from June 28, 2021. However, some of its provisions are already in force. EU Member States are required to transpose the Directive amending CRD into their national laws and to apply those provisions from December 29, 2020, subject to certain exceptions.

The new U.K. statutory instrument amends the existing U.K. exit legislation to address deficiencies arising due to the changes made in CRR II, but only those changes that will be applicable by October 31, 2019. These changes relate to new definitions, revisions to the rules on what qualifies as capital, new mandates for technical standards to be prepared and some changes to the Minimum Requirements for Own Funds and Eligible Liabilities (MREL). In addition, the statutory instrument removes the automatic preferential capital treatment for EU exposures introduced by CRR II. This aligns with the position taken in the existing exit legislation. It is anticipated that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the U.K. regulators may use their temporary powers to suspend the additional capital requirements for such exposures.

View the amending regulation and explanatory memorandum.

View details of CRR II.

The European Securities and Markets Authority has published, in an economic report, a stress simulation framework for investment funds, which is intended for use by national regulators. The report provides an overview of the framework, options available for stress testing and discusses the calibration of redemption shocks for investment funds, methods to assess the resilience of funds to shocks, ways to measure the impact of fund managers' liquidation strategies on financial markets, and possible second-round effects. The report also includes a case study where ESMA applied the stress simulation framework to 6,000 UCITS bond funds, the underlying data for which ESMA has shared with national regulators.

ESMA intends to use the stress test simulation to assist it in monitoring and identifying risks that may impact the funds industry.

View the economic report.

The Prudential Regulation Authority has published a "Dear CEO" letter sent to all PRA-regulated banks and investment firms (firms that are subject to the Capital Requirements Regulation) on the prudential supervision of money laundering and terrorist financing risks. The PRA reminds firms of the Opinion published by the European Banking Authority on July 24, 2019, which invited national prudential supervisors to (i) make clear to institutions the expectation that prudential supervisors should be aware of AML/CTF risks that may affect the institutions they oversee; and (ii) notify institutions that AML/CTF concerns will be taken into account in determining prudential supervision.

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The European Commission has published a Communication on finalizing preparations for the withdrawal of the U.K. from the EU on November 1, 2019. The Commission stresses the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit on October 31, 2019 and asks all stakeholders to take action now to finalize their plans for the situation, noting that the contingency measures that are in place can only mitigate against some of the more significant disruptions. The Commission warns that a further delay to the date that the U.K. exits the EU should not be assumed, in that a delay may not be requested by the U.K. government nor granted by the EU.

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Judge Dabney Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) that would have prevented the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency from offering a special purpose national bank charter to certain non-bank financial services firms. The CSBS brought the lawsuit in October 2018 following the OCC's July 2018 announcement that it would begin accepting applications for the FinTech charter, arguing that the OCC lacks the authority to award bank charters to non-depository institutions. However, Judge Friedrich concluded that the CSBS did not have standing to bring the suit given the fact that the OCC has yet to award a FinTech charter to any non-bank financial services firms.

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The Banking Standards Board has published a statement of good practice for firms when providing and requesting regulatory references in accordance with the Senior Managers and Certification Regime. The SM&CR for banks and building societies was established in 2016 to improve management within banking sector firms. The regime includes a requirement for firms to request references when determining whether a candidate is suitable for a senior management function, certification function or non-executive director function. 

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has published a report containing its final guidelines on liquidity stress testing in Alternative Investment Funds and Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities. The guidelines have been published in accordance with the European Systemic Risk Board's 2018 Recommendation, which was designed to address liquidity and leverage risk in investment funds. ESMA's guidelines will apply from September 30, 2020.

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The Financial Stability Board has published a summary of an industry workshop, held on May 21, 2019, on continuity of access to financial market infrastructures for firms in resolution. The FSB held the workshop to assist in its efforts to monitor implementation of the FSB Guidance on continuity of access to FMI for firms in resolution, published in July 2017. The Guidance provides for arrangements to allow continuity of access to FMIs for a global systemically important bank in resolution. The Guidance applies to FMIs as providers of clearing, payment, securities settlement and/or custody services, to G-SIBs and other banks that are subject to resolution (referred to here as firms) and recovery planning requirements, as well as the G-SIB resolution authorities and regulators of the FMIs.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published a letter (dated August 19, 2019) addressed to the chairpersons of the remuneration committees of the boards of banks and large investment firms (investment firms with total assets over £50 billion). The letter sets out the FCA's findings from the 2018/19 remuneration round and informs how the FCA intends to assess remuneration policies and practices of firms in 2019/20.

The FCA observes that firms continue to address conduct issues in their remuneration policies and practices. It reminds the chairpersons of remuneration committees of their accountability as senior managers under the Senior Managers Regime. Noting that firms continue to adjust awards for material poor performance and misconduct, but that some firms still find it difficult to provide appropriate justification for some adjustments, the FCA states that it will work with firms this year on their approach to ex post facto risk adjustment.

The FCA letter also states that the annual review of submitted Remuneration Policy Statements will again be coordinated with the Prudential Regulation Authority. Firms are asked to submit a short summary addressing the key points raised in the statement, including the key changes made last year and an explanation of how the chairperson has assured himself or herself that the firm's overall remuneration policies drive behavior that reduces potential harm.

Finally, the FCA invites chairpersons of remuneration committees to engage in the FCA's work on transforming culture in financial services.

View the letter.

The UK Law Commission has published a Call for Evidence on the system for intermediated securities. The Call for Evidence will inform the Commission's scoping study to assess the current state of the law and issues arising from intermediation, which the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has requested. Intermediated securities are shares and bonds held electronically through computerized credit entries. The Call for Evidence describes how intermediated securities are held and recorded, noting the advantages of the system. It also raises practical issues with the system and presents some potential solutions.

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Following the coming into force on April 26, 2019 of an EU regulation amending the Capital Requirements Regulation that introduced a statutory prudential backstop, and requires banks to have minimum loan loss coverage for newly originated loans, the European Central Bank has published a communication on supervisory coverage expectations for non-performing loans. The ECB communication announces that the ECB has revised its supervisory expectations on NPLs that it published in its March 2018 Addendum to the Guidance for Eurozone banks on NPLs as a result of the Amending Regulation. Neither the Guidance nor the Addendum are legally binding, but both apply to all Eurozone Significant Institutions supervised by the ECB in the Single Supervisory Mechanism as well as their international subsidiaries.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has announced in a "Dear CEO" letter that it will not take enforcement action against firms that are not compliant with Strong Customer Authentication requirements for electronic payment transactions by the legal deadline of September 14, 2019. The exemption from enforcement will apply only to card-not-present e-commerce transactions. In order to qualify for the exemption, firms must demonstrate that they have taken the necessary steps to comply with UK Finance's plan for implementing SCA by March 14, 2021.

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A U.K. court has granted an asset preservation order over Bitcoin stolen in a "spear phishing" attack on a major crypto-currency trader. The decision confirms that proprietary claims over Bitcoin constitute serious issues that should be tried in the courts. Although the presiding judges did not make a final ruling on the legal questions surrounding the nature of Bitcoin ownership, it is believed that this is the first time the English courts have considered the nature of crypto-currencies as property.

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A Decision of the European Central Bank has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The Decision supplements the ECB's Regulation on the oversight of systemically important payment systems. The Decision sets out the procedures and conditions for a regulator to follow when seeking to obtain information and documents from the operator of a SIPS, requiring a SIPS operator to appoint an independent expert to carry out an investigation or review on the operation of the SIPS or conduct on-site inspections.

​The Decision enters into force on September 5, 2019 and applies to the Eurozone regulators of Eurozone SIPS.

View the ECB Decision.

The European Banking Authority has published an Opinion on the eligibility of deposits, coverage level and cooperation between deposit guarantee schemes. The EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive requires the European Commission to report on the implementation of the Directive. The EBA's Opinion is the first of three opinions that it will issue to support the Commission in preparing the report. The other two opinions are expected before the end of 2019, one covering deposit guarantee scheme pay outs and the other DGS funding and uses of DGS funds.

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The Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Reference Rates has published a summary of the responses it received to its March 2019 discussion paper on conventions for referencing SONIA in new financial contracts.

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Andrew Bailey, the Chief Executive of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, has written to Lord Myners of the House of Lords concerning the establishment of U.K. requirements for liquidity standards for Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) that are more stringent than existing EU requirements. Andrew Bailey's letter was prompted by Lord Myners' query as to whether the U.K. government has ever formally reviewed the case for imposing more stringent requirements or whether it must abide by the requirements in the EU UCITS Directive.

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The European Banking Authority has published several documents setting out its advice to the European Commission on the impact and implementation in the EU of the Basel III 2017 reforms. On December 7, 2017, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision published the last part of the Basel III reforms. The revisions were to the standardized approach and the Internal Ratings-Based approach for credit risk, the Credit Valuation Adjustment risk framework, the leverage ratio framework, including the introduction of a leverage buffer for Global Systemically Important Banks, the operational risk framework and the new output ratio floor. The revised standards take effect from January 1, 2022, except that the output floor may be phased-in until January 1, 2027.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published the findings of its review into the implementation of the Senior Managers and Certification Regime for the banking sector. The SM&CR came into force for banking firms in March 2016 with the aim of making individuals in the banking sector more accountable for their conduct. The FCA conducted the review to determine how the SM&CR has been implemented in the three years since its introduction. The review is intended to aid understanding of the impact of the regime and the FCA does not intend to make any policy changes on the basis of its findings. The FCA's review focuses on the implementation of the existing banking SM&CR, but an expanded SM&CR regime will come into force for all FCA solo-regulated firms from December 9, 2019. Firms falling within scope of the expanded regime should, where appropriate, also take the findings of the FCA's review into account in their implementation of the SM&CR.

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The U.K. Treasury Committee has published a report on the Financial Conduct Authority's perimeter of regulation. The Report is part of the Committee's ongoing inquiry, The Work of the Financial Conduct Authority, which is considering: (i) the timeliness in which the FCA is able to take action; (ii) the transparency of the FCA's work and decisions; and (iii) the scope of the FCA's regulatory perimeter. This Report considers the last of these issues and makes several recommendations to the Treasury on the remit and powers of the FCA to enhance understanding of consumers of the regulatory perimeter, reduce harm to consumers and mitigate against regulatory arbitrage.

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The European Banking Authority has launched a consultation on its proposed guidelines on the methodology used to determine the weighted average maturity of contractual payments due under securitization transaction tranches for the purposes of the Capital Requirements Regulation. The CRR establishes, amongst other things, the principles by which firms should calculate their credit risk, including in relation to securitization transactions. 

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The European Securities and Markets Authority has announced that it will not again renew its product intervention measure for Contracts for Differences. ESMA's product intervention powers under the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation allow it to impose temporary prohibitions or restrictions on certain financial instruments, financial activities or practices to address a significant investor protection concern in the EU. ESMA's first restrictions on the marketing, distribution and sale of CfDs to retail clients applied from August 1, 2018 and was then extended every three months because ESMA did not consider that the consumer protection risk had been addressed. ESMA's view is that because most national regulators in EU member states have now adopted permanent measures, its own temporary restrictions do not need to be extended. The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has imposed permanent restrictions on the sale, marketing and distribution of CfDs and CfD-like options to retail consumers. The rules will apply to all CfDs entered into from August 1, 2019, and to CfD-like options entered into from September 1, 2019.

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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published two amending Directions under the Electronic Money, Payment Services and Payment Systems (Amendment and Transitional Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 varying the deadlines by which e-money and payment services firms should notify the FCA of their intention to rely on the temporary permissions regime following the U.K.’s exit from the EU. The TPR will allow EU firms to continue providing financial services in the U.K. post-Brexit for a limited period of time, pending full FCA permission being granted. Notifications should now be made by October 30, 2019. The extended deadline falls immediately before the revised Brexit deadline of October 31, 2020.

View the FCA's amended Direction on notifications for the e-money services temporary permissions regime.

View the FCA's amended Direction on notification for the payment services temporary permissions regime.

View details of the FCA’s extended TPR announcement on April 11, 2019.

View details of the FCA’s extended TPR announcement on March 28, 2019.

The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority has published a Policy Statement and final Guidance on Crypto-assets. The Policy Statement summarizes the feedback received to the FCA's consultation on draft Guidance and sets out the FCA's response to that feedback. The final Guidance is, for the most part, the same as that on which the FCA consulted, except the FCA has made some drafting changes to provide further clarity and has added some guidance on stablecoins and airdrops. In addition, the FCA has revised the taxonomy by making a distinction between: (i) unregulated tokens, which are exchange tokens and utility tokens; and (ii) regulated tokens, which are security and e-money tokens.

The Guidance is intended to clarify the FCA's expectations for firms carrying on crypto-asset activities within the U.K. by providing insight for market participants on whether certain crypto-assets are within the FCA's regulatory perimeter or are otherwise regulated. The FCA highlights that the Guidance should be used by firms to understand the regulatory status of their crypto-asset activities, but assessing whether a crypto-asset or related activity is within the regulatory perimeter can only be done on a case-by-case basis. Firms should also refer to the FCA's Perimeter Guidance Manual (PERG) in its Handbook, and where firms need further clarification, they should contact the FCA and/or obtain external legal advice.

The Guidance provides an overview of the U.K. regulatory perimeter and discusses relevant concepts, such as "by way of business." It also refers to the territorial scope of the regulatory perimeter, referring to the detailed guidance in PERG and highlighting that where part of an activity is carried on outside the U.K., a firm may still be carrying on a regulated activity in the U.K.

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