Events

The European Union’s expansions of 2004 and 2007 brought about extension of the single market for financial services to the countries of the Central and Eastern European Union (CEEU). As a result, the financial institutions established in the CEEU region are today subject to the same EU regulatory framework as their western European counterparts. Many also belong to the same groups that dominate the western financial landscape. This, however, did not obliterate the differences in the development of financial services and in the roles played by the financial institutions in the western and the eastern part of the EU.

Well-functioning, deeper and highly integrated European capital markets are expected to play a greater role in providing alternative corporate funding and better investment opportunities. To this end, the Capital Markets Union (CMU) project should aim beyond the actions set for end-2019, towards a revamped strategy for EU-27. This year's annual conference will contribute to the public debate about the capacity of capital markets to enable long-term value creation in the real economy, namely supporting innovative companies and sustainable economic growth.

With an outstanding volume of about €2.1 trillion, covered bonds rank high among the main funding sources for EU banks. These specialised debt securities provide banks with attractive funding for the financing of mortgages and public authorities in many EU member states. Due to overcollateralisation, covered bonds are relatively cheap and have a longer maturity. In turn, they are also an appealing investment class for risk-averse investors (including other banks), as long as the collateral is of sufficient quality and the amount is large enough.

Issuing equity or debt instruments can provide SMEs with the stable, long-term financing that bank lending typically does not.

The conference will first explore the interplay between data privacy rights and financial innovation. It will then discuss the potential benefits, risks and challenges for robo-advisors and the capacity to progress from niche markets to the mainstream. The debate will finally explore how policy-makers could further help financial firms better protect critical data against increasingly complex cyber-attacks.

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) 9, issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) on 24 July 2014 and came into effect on 3 January 2018, addresses multiple aspects of accounting for financial instruments, namely classification and measurement, impairment of financial assets and general hedge accounting. The objective is to establish common and harmonised principles for the reporting of financial assets and financial liabilities.

All investment firms are currently subject to the prudential requirements designed for banks. The European Commission’s proposal for a prudential framework devoted exclusively to investment firms will alter this regime. While the systemically important investment firms remain under the same prudential rules applicable to banks, smaller investment firms will be subject to less stringent requirements. The overarching objectives of the prudential framework are to ensure that the firms have sufficient funds to remain financially viable and avoid contagion to customers and the wider economy.