Search
Contact
20.09.2018 | KPMG Law Insights

Investment | Law | Compact – Issue 09/2018

Dear Readers,

As reported in our August issue, BaFin is granting a deadline for adjusting the cost regulations of mutual funds until
December 31, 2019. However, it requires companies that apply for amendments to investment terms and conditions within this period to also adapt them to the new model cost clauses in the process.
The German financial regulator has spoken out on the subject of Brexit. In a letter to supervised investment companies, BaFin points out that – from a current perspective – outsourcing of portfolio management or risk management to companies in the UK as of the
March 30, 2019 to be treated as outsourcing to entities in a third country. According to the KAGB, this requires cooperation between the relevant supervisory authorities. As this has not yet been clarified for the period from March 30, 2019, the capital management companies must be prepared for the “worst case” and have appropriate contingency plans in place.
We also report on further regulatory news and take a look across the border to Luxembourg, where the CSSF has tightened its supervisory practice on the organization of management companies.

With warm regards
Henning Brockhaus

National supervision

BaFin publishes German translations of isolated Q&A on UCITS and AIFM Directive

On August 31, 2018, BaFin published German-language translations of selected questions of the Q&A catalogs on the UCITSand AIFM Directives.
The supervisor points out that the official English original versions are still binding.

National supervision

BaFin expands investment fund database

BaFin will expand the investment fund database on its website. In addition to public investment funds from (EU) countries that are authorized to market, all other active German investment funds will also be displayed there in the future, as well as special AIFs and investment funds that do not have a marketing license in Germany. The database contains information on investment funds, management companies and depositaries.
The expansion of the database facilitates the allocation of the unique company identifier, the so-called Legal Entity Identifier (LEI), as the LEI-issuing companies will be able to access the investment fund database in the future.
The change will take effect no earlier than October 1.

National supervision

BaFin requires adjustment of cost clauses already at next change of investment conditions

BaFin has shared that no changes to investment terms and conditions are currently approved for mutual funds without also simultaneously adapting the existing cost regulations of mutual funds to the new model cost clauses.
Capital management companies that want to or have to make changes to the Special Terms and Conditions of Investment can therefore not use the deadline actually granted by the supervisory authority of December 31, 2019 to adapt the cost rules to the new model cost clauses, but must also adapt the cost paragraph as early as the next amendment to the Terms and Conditions of Investment.

National supervision

BaFin facilitates submission of reports on investment assets

BaFin has announced that, with immediate effect, only one copy in paper form and one copy electronically are to be transmitted for the submission of annual, semi-annual and interim reports on investment funds.
For dissolution and settlement reports, on the other hand, the rule remains that three copies must be submitted, two in paper form and one electronically. § Section 4 (1) of the KARBV shall be amended accordingly.
In deviation from the current version of Section 3 (5) sentence 1 KAPrüfbV, the submission of audit reports on investment funds is also facilitated. From now on, two copies are sufficient for this purpose, one in paper form and one electronically. § Section 3 (5) sentence 1 KAPrüfbV shall be amended accordingly.
For the audit reports on capital management companies, on the other hand, the current rule remains that three copies must be submitted, two in paper form and one electronically.

European supervision

EU Commission Initiates Regulations on ESG Risks and Factors in Asset Management

The EU Commission is making progress in establishing tangible regulations on ESG. It has asked ESMA to prepare adjustments to the Level 2 measures for the inclusion of ESG risks and factors in the investment process. Affected by these proposals would be, among others, the legal acts on the UCITS and AIFM Directives as well as on MiFID2.
The EU Commission expects proposals on the following points:

  • Organizational requirements that ensure the appropriate consideration of ESG risks,
  • Systematic consideration of ESG risks in the investment strategy and investment decision,
  • Systematic integration of ESG risks into the risk management process and
  • Consideration of ESG risks when determining the target market according to MiFID2

ESMA is to submit its proposals by April 30, 2019. The letter from the EU Commission (which went accordingly for insurance regulation from to EIOPA) can be found here.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg Supervision Increases Requirements for Authorization and Organization of Management Companies

The Luxembourg financial supervisory authority “Comission Surveillance du Secteur Financier” (CSSF) has published a new circular (Circulaire CSSR 18/698) in which it presents the licensing requirements for UCITS and AIF management companies domiciled in Luxembourg.
In particular, it is a question of what the internal organization of a management company should be, what its policies and processes should be, and what staffing must be available in view of the business volume and business activities of the management company.
The CSSF also specifies due diligence requirements for the selection of outsourcing companies and their ongoing monitoring.
Among other things, the circular replaces the previous version from 2012, which still referred exclusively to UCITS management companies and contained less restrictive requirements.
The new circular is applicable with immediate effect, so management companies should make any necessary adjustments without delay.

European supervision

European Union wants to regulate climate indices

The regulatory package on “Sustainable Finance” also includes proposals to amend the Benchmark Regulation (BMR). This is intended to legally regulate so-called low-carbon benchmarks (with low-carbon values) and positive-carbon impact benchmarks (values with a positive impact on carbon dioxide emissions along the entire value chain).
With the extended requirements for providers of ESG and CO2 avoidance indices, the EU Commission intends to achieve a correct and reliable representation of the economic conditions underlying the respective index.
The BMR amendments mean expanded disclosure requirements. For example, the sustainability element methodologies of all ESG benchmarks must be explained to users. In addition, all ESG characteristics of the index must be reflected in the so-called “benchmark statement”.

National supervision

BaFin comments on Brexit consequences for outsourcing to the UK

BaFin has sent a letter to German capital management companies informing them that it currently assumes that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) will no longer be considered an EU or EEA country after March 29, 2019. Accordingly, outsourcing of portfolio management or risk management to companies domiciled in the UK pursuant to Sec. 36 para. 1 sentence 1 no. 4 KAGB can only be continued if cooperation with the competent British supervisory authority is ensured. This is still open at the current time, he said.
BaFin therefore advises capital management companies that effective contingency plans must be in place in the event that an outsourcing relationship with a UK company then needs to be terminated. In addition, the companies are to provide information on their potential impact.

Explore #more

08.12.2023 | PR Publications

Payout can be risky

In the current issue of Personalwirtschaft from 30.11.2023, there is a guest article by Stefan Middendorf and Gracjan Modrzyk. Some companies are once again…

07.12.2023 | PR Publications

Institutional Money – It’s all in the mix

Institutional Money 04/2023 discusses the opportunities offered by the Neighborhood Fund. The fund is ideal for real estate investors, as it is not limited to

01.12.2023 | PR Publications

WiWo: Best of Legal Awards – Philipp Glock Leader of the Year

On Thursday evening, WirtschaftsWoche honored outstanding projects and minds from consulting firms and law firms in Düsseldorf and celebrated the second Best of Professional Night…

29.11.2023 | KPMG Law Insights

Energy transition also opens up business opportunities

The energy industry’s complex, capital-intensive transformation process offers investors and banks a great deal of potential By Lars Christian Mahler and Marc Goldberg for Börsen-Zeitung,…

29.11.2023 | KPMG Law Insights

Guest article in ZURe – AI and the legal department of tomorrow

The current issue of ZURe (p. 48 ff.) contains a guest article by KPMG Partner Sina Steidel-Küster (Regional Director Southwest, Head of Stuttgart office) and…

29.11.2023 | KPMG Law Insights, KPMG Law Insights

Key Facts about the new draft of the “Data Act

On February 23, 2022, the EU Commission presented the new draft of the so-called Data Act, the “Regulation on harmonized rules for fair access to…

21.11.2023 |

Guest article in ZURe on the implementation of CSRD reporting in SMEs

The current issue of ZURe (p. 34 ff.) contains a guest article by Lena Plato (Director Legal & Compliance, FLABEG Automotive Group GmbH), KPMG Law…

20.11.2023 | Press releases

Statement by KPMG Law experts in Handelsblatt on the topic of sustainability cooperation in antitrust law

In the Handelsblatt, KPMG Law expert Jonas Brueckner is quoted in detail on the subject of cooperation in terms of sustainability. Until this summer, there…

15.11.2023 |

Legal 500 – Country Comparative Guide Germany

Gerrit Rixen and Jonas Brueckner provide an overview of the relevant legal regulations in the area of Competition & Litigation in a practical guide on…

14.11.2023 | Press releases

Tax and Law at a glance – New issue of the digital magazine “Talk

“Talk” stands for Tax and Law Compass, because that’s what the digital magazine wants to be: a navigation aid to the legal and tax aspects…

Contact

Henning Brockhaus

Partner

THE SQUAIRE Am Flughafen
60549 Frankfurt am Main

tel: +49 69 951195061
hbrockhaus@kpmg-law.com

© 2023 KPMG Law Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, associated with KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, a public limited company under German law and a member of the global KPMG organisation of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Limited, a Private English Company Limited by Guarantee. All rights reserved. For more details on the structure of KPMG’s global organisation, please visit https://home.kpmg/governance.

 KPMG International does not provide services to clients. No member firm is authorised to bind or contract KPMG International or any other member firm to any third party, just as KPMG International is not authorised to bind or contract any other member firm.

Scroll