Tag: Financial regulation

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies: too Alternative to be an Alternative Investment Fund?

A post by guest blogger Victor Denil

While Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs) made a comeback to the American stock markets in 2020, Euronext Amsterdam became the SPAC champion on the old continent, with 16 SPAC listings (FT, 17 February 2021). As we appear to be past the hype, burning legal questions to understand the legal landscape for alternative investment funds, and in particular European SPACs come to the fore. One of these questions is whether European SPACs are subject to the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD)? There is no clear answer to this question. In this article, I will try to summarize the pros and cons and I will bring on three arguments why AIFMD could apply in my opinion.

Continue reading “Special Purpose Acquisition Companies: too Alternative to be an Alternative Investment Fund?”

Looking ahead for likely changes to the EU legislation on Alternative Investment Fund Management

A post by guest bloggers Ivan Peeters and Charles-Henri Bernard

1. Investment funds play a key role in modern financial markets to give investors access to investments with the benefit of different layers of structural and regulatory protections. A large and efficient market for investment funds also serves to help sponsors of projects to get access to the large amounts of value that today’s investors seek to invest. This will in particular also apply for the exponentially growing need to invest in sustainable, forward looking projects.

2.  Against this background, the European legislation has created a financial regulation framework for (a) the authorisation and supervision of alternative investment fund managers (AIFMs), (b) the oversight of AIFMs’ activities and services, in their home country as well as in other EU jurisdictions, and (c) the marketing of alternative investment funds (AIFs) (i.e. the distribution of securities issued by AIFs). AIFs are investment funds that are not regulated at EU level by the long established UCITS Directive[1], meaning they are not regulated at “product level” (structure, securities …). Only their management is regulated. AIFs include hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds, investment trusts, infrastructure funds and a wide range of other types of investment funds.

3. The key piece of legislation is the Directive 2011/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on Alternative Investment Fund Managers (the AIFMD). It entered into application on 22 July 2013. Continue reading “Looking ahead for likely changes to the EU legislation on Alternative Investment Fund Management”

Delinquent mortgage loans: the EU is working hard to promote solutions for dealing effectively and responsibly with NPLs – Our Belgian supervisory approach needs a change of direction.

A post by guest bloggers Ivan Peeters and Charles-Henri Bernard

1. Under the Belgian regulation on residential mortgage credit (the “ML Regulation”)[1], any individual or legal entity willing to own and hold receivables arising from residential mortgage loans, either by originating such loans or by purchasing mortgage loan receivables, must be authorised as a mortgage lender (“kredietgever inzake hypothecair krediet” / “prêteurs en crédit hypothécaire”). This authorisation shall be requested to, and granted by, the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (the “FSMA”).

2. However, certain derogations from the normal authorisation conditions are available for two special categories of entities:

a) entities that only manage and recover mortgage loans; and

b) certain special types of purchasers of mortgage credit receivables, in particular securitisation vehicles and mobilisation institutions more generally.

These derogations were introduced in the ML Regulation in 2017, when existing mortgage credit lenders and existing mobilisation institutions were required to seek an updated licence (the “2017 Update”).

3. But what about sales of delinquent or defaulted residential mortgage loans. How does this fit within the ML Regulation and, more broadly, within the Belgian regulatory framework? Continue reading “Delinquent mortgage loans: the EU is working hard to promote solutions for dealing effectively and responsibly with NPLs – Our Belgian supervisory approach needs a change of direction.”

European Financial Regulation: Levelling the Cross-sectoral Playing Field

Oxford Webinar on Sep. 25th.

The KU Leuven Jan Ronse Institute, the Oxford Commercial Law Centre and the Nijmegen Radboud Business Law Institute are co-organising a webinar on the book “European Financial Regulation: Levelling the Cross-sectoral Playing Field”, edited by Veerle Colaert, Danny Busch and Thomas Incalza.

The event takes place on the 25th of September, from 3.45-6pm CET (2.45-5pm London time).

Participation in the webinar is free of charge, but prior registration is required, via the following link.

At the webinar, internationally renowned scholars in financial regulation, including John Armour, Danny Busch and Georg Ringe, will discuss key topics such as FinTech, corporate governance, conflicts of interest and the suitability test, all from a cross-sectoral perspective. They will show that very similar rules apply in banking, securities and insurance regulation and will discuss whether and why differences are necessary, or whether, on the contrary, a more cross-sectoral approach would be beneficial.

This innovative approach is aimed at informing law and policymakers on potential improvements to EU financial regulation whilst also supporting legal and compliance professionals applying the current framework or looking to streamline compliance processes.

Programme

2:45 Welcome and introduction
Professor Kristin van Zwieten (Chair of Sessions)
Clifford Chance Associate Professor of Law and Finance, University of Oxford; Fellow and Tutor in Law, Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford

3:00  Levelling the cross-sectoral playing field
Professor Veerle Colaert
Financial Law Chair, Jan Ronse Institute for Company and Financial Law, KU Leuven University 

3:20 Towards European harmonisation of know-your-customer obligations for investment products
Professor Danny Busch
Financial Law Chair, Director, Financial Law Centre, Radboud University Nijmegen; Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, and a Fellow of the Commercial Law Centre at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford

3:40 Reflections on Governance in the Financial Sector
Professor John Armour
Professor of Law and Finance, University of Oxford

4:00 How to regulate Fintech in the EU?
Professor Wolf- Georg Ringe
Chair for Law & Finance, University of Hamburg
Visiting Professor, University of Oxford

4:20 Conflicts of interest and inducements: a cross-sectoral analysis of a fragmented reality  
Professor Thomas Incalza
Research Fellow, KU Leuven University; University of Hasselt

4:40 Discussion

5:00 Closing remarks by Professor Kristin van Zwieten