Working Groups
Working groups are set up by the committees, commissions or, more rarely, by the Board. They are set up – on a permanent basis where necessary – to tackle specific questions. Some groups are shared by several committees.
Market-related groups
DLT
Objective:
- Identification and analysis of DLT projects in market activities.
Topics under review:
- To be determined
Person responsible and associated committee: Mathieu Jacolin -Market Structure Committee
Thiebald Cremers – Legal Committee
IFR/IFD
Objective:
- Addressing challenges related to the prudential framework applicable to investment firms
Topics under review:
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Identification of avenues for simplifying the prudential regime under IFR/IFD at the request of the Directorate General of the Treasury
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Preparation of discussions with the competent authorities (ACPR) to obtain clarifications on supervisory actions
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Identification of issues arising from the ECI status
Person responsible and associated committee: Mathieu Jacolin -Market Structure Committee
Data and Reporting
Objectives:
- Facilitate discussions around more general regulatory reporting issues (beyond those covered by the EMIR Refit Reporting Group, which has now closed).
- Where necessary, liaise with the authorities to highlight any sticking points.
Topics under review:
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Implications of the future DPE regime (formerly SI) on reporting and the interdependence of RTS related to reference data and transparency (RTS 23 and RTS 2).
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Work on simplifying and reducing the reporting burden in the context of the MiFIR review (RTS 22 and 24).
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Response to ESMA’s Call for Evidence on reporting simplification.
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EMIR reporting for NFCs.
Person responsible and associated committee: Mathieu Jacolin – Market Structure Committee
MiFIR review – Derivatives Transparency
Objective:
- Reply to the consultation
Topics under review:
- Reply to ESMA’s consultation on transparency for derivatives / package orders and data for the CTP (OTC).
Person responsible and associated committee: Mathieu Jacolin – Market Structure Committee & Commodities Committee
T+1
Objectives:
- Work with FPM and AFG to determine the conditions for switching to T+1 in Europe
Topics under review:
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Coordination with members involved in European governance (Industry Committee and Technical Workstreams).
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Establishment of a French structure (with FPM and AFG) to respond to European requests and address key issues.
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Exchanges with various authorities (AMF, Treasury, ESMA, DG FISMA).
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Review of CSDR: request for a suspension mechanism for penalties, to be activated when necessary.
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Analysis of the consequences on certain market segments and on the repo market.
Person responsible and associated committee: Mathieu Jacolin – Market Structure Committee & Post-Market Committee
Sustainable finance-related groups
Derivatives and Sustainable finance
Objectives:
- Prepare a methodology to determine the requirements for derivatives to be treated as contributing to sustainability.
- Measure the contribution from derivatives to sustainability KPIs at the product and entity level.
Topics under review:
- Monitor European-level discussions on recognising derivatives in Taxonomy ratios at entity level (in the GAR, GIR and Trading book KPIs) and product level.
- Examine the best method to count derivatives in the GAR numerator.
Person responsible: Ambra Moschini
AMAFI Group: Sustainable Bonds
Objectives:
- Handling ad hoc issues related to sustainable bond issues (green, social, sustainabiliy linked, EUGBS, etc.)
- Identification of possible best practices
- Help in implementing new emission standards
- Discussions with the AMF’s Corporate Finance Division
Topics under review:
Discussions with the AMF Corporate Finance division and AFTE on identifying and describing risk factors in prospectuses, which must comply with a number of principles.
Person responsible: Ambra Moschini
Structured products and Sustainable finance
Objectives:
- Discuss sustainability criteria applicable to ESG structured products
- Study applicability of sustainable finance standards to structured products (e.g. SFDR, MiFID 2, ESG)
Topics under review:
- Develop a proposed delta haircut at the AMF’s request to mitigate the impact of delta volatility on ESG KPIs.
Person responsible: Ambra Moschini
Compliance division
Market abuse
Objectives:
- Respond to consultations on market abuse issues (EC, ESMA)
- Work on the MAR review (Listing Act)
- Discuss MAR provisions
Topics under review:
- Work on pre-hedging
- Work on the MAR review as part of the Listing Act initiative
Person responsible and associated committee: Catherine Balençon – Compliance Committee
MiFID 2 Costs and Charges
Objectives:
- Discuss issue of transparency of costs and charges within the RIS framework.
- Monitor AMF work on discretionary investment management costs and charges and respond to resulting consultations
Topics under review:
- Potential work on MiFID 2 Level 2 amended post-RIS
Person responsible and associated committees: Catherine Balençon – Compliance and Private Banking Compliance Committees
Product Governance & Suitability
Objectives: Monitor and take part in current and future work by ESMA on product governance & suitability, particularly on ESG issues.
Topics under review:
- Clarify implementation of MiFID 2 / ESG provisions and monitor ESMA’s CSA and AMF 2024 SPOT inspections
- Implementation of MiFID 2/ESG obligations for the primary market
- AMF consultation on the distribution of actively managed certificates (AMCs)
- AMF consultation on regulating turnover commissions in discretionary investment management (AMAFI / 24-24)
Person responsible and associated committees: Catherine Balençon – Compliance and Private Banking Compliance Committees
AML/CFT
Objectives:
- Respond to ACPR and EBA consultations
- Take part in the ACPR’s AML/CFT Consultative Commission
- Address ad hoc AML/CFT issues.
Topics under review:
- Discussions on the annual money laundering questionnaire
- Draft review of ACPR/TRACFIN joint guidelines on suspicious transaction reports
- Discussions on market practices
- Monitoring of progress in setting up AMLA
- Work to propose a review of guidelines on identifying and checking the identity of customers, to ensure that the guidelines are suited to market activities.
Person responsible and associated committee: Julie Dugourgeot – Compliance Committee
Anti-corruption
Objectives:
- Discuss and liaise with AFA
Person responsible and associated committee: Julie Dugourgeot –Private Banking Compliance Committee
Best execution
Objectives: Address issues related to best execution
Topics under review: Prepare response to ESMA’s consultation on draft technical standards for ISP best execution policies
Person responsible and associated committee: Catherine Balençon – Compliance Committee
Structured products and PRIIPs
Objectives:
- Work on issues specific to structured products raised in connection with the RIS
- Respond to consultations on the PRIIPs framework or raising other issues specific to structured products
- Merger of PRIIPs and Structured Products WGs
Topics under review:
- Amendment of the PRIIPS Regulation in connection with the RIS
- AMF consultation on the distribution of actively managed certificates (AMCs)
- Consultations on Level 2 of the ESAP Regulation
- Update of AMAFI’s Q&A on PRIIPs (AMAFI / 19-55)
Person responsible and associated committee: Catherine Balençon – Compliance Committee
Retail Investment Strategy (RIS)
Objectives: Hold discussions on the proposed Retail Investment Strategy published by the European Commission on 24 May 2023
Topics under review:
- Determine the positions that AMAFI plans to convey to stakeholders in France (AMF, Treasury) and Europe about the proposed MiFID 2 and PRIIPs amendments
- Work on the proposed amendments to these texts
Person responsible and associated committees: Catherine Balençon – Compliance and Private Banking Compliance Committees
Branch compliance
Objectives: Working group focused on specific issues encountered by branches established in France (European or third country)
Topics under review:
- AMF – Annual European branches questionnaire
- Clarification of rules applicable to incoming branches and identification of the competent authority for each branch
- Potential steps to take with respect to the AMF in the event that duplicates are identified or if there is uncertainty over competence
Person responsible and associated committees: Catherine Balençon – Compliance and Private Banking Compliance Committees
Tax division
AMAFI-France Post Marché electronic invoicing
Objectives: Work on the electronic invoicing reform.
Topics under review:
- In the lead-up to application of the reform, identify the needs of operators and inform them about the applicable rules and the approach adopted by the tax authorities.
- Identify implementation challenges that could be the subject of a joint approach to the tax authorities.
- As applicable, characterise needs in terms of specific solutions for the intermediation sector and securities industry.
Person responsible and associated committee: Maguette Diouf – Tax Committee
VAT on investment services
Objectives: Analysis of the VAT regime for financial intermediation services
Topics under review:
- Update of AMAFI / 15-20 memo on the VAT regime for commissions and remuneration earned by ISPs
- Analysis of VAT treatment of investment research services with regard to complex-transactions theory and electronic invoicing
Person responsible and associated committee: Maguette Diouf – Tax Committee
Legal division
Liquidity contracts
Objectives:
- Discuss questions relating to the accepted market practice on equity liquidity contracts.
- Update AMAFI standard liquidity contract and comments memo.
Topics under review:
- Finalisation of the documentation: charter, agreement template and explanatory memo. Publication during the week of 8 July 2024.
Person responsible: Thiebald Cremers
DORA
Objective:
- Facilitate application of the DORA Regulation.
Topics under review:
- Gather questions from the group’s members on DORA application.
Person responsible and associated committee: Thiebald Cremers – Legal Committee
Euro PP
Objective :
- Monitoring developments in the Euro PP market and the charter.
Topics under review:
- Monitoring the application of the regulation on credit rating agencies (CRA) to Euro PP.
Person responsible and associated committee: Thiebald Cremers – Legal Committee
Listing Act
Objectives:
- Work on the European Listing Act legislative package.
- Monitor and implement Listing Act texts in French law.
Topics under review:
- Response to the European Commission consultation on the Listing Act initiative.
- Pending transposition into French law of Listing Act texts: MiFID, MAR, Prospectus, Multiple voting rights (expected by late 2024).
Person responsible and associated committee: Thiebald Cremers – Legal Committee
Simplification of the Commercial Code
Objective:
- Formulate proposals for revising the Commercial Code by removing obsolete articles and proposing amendments to bring it into line with new European provisions.
Topics under review:
- The working group has begun its work and plans to complete it in September.
Person responsible and associated committee: Thiebald Cremers – Legal Committee
Structured Products and Prospectus Regulations
Objective:
- Interpretation of the new provisions of the Prospectus Regulation as applied to structured products.
Topics under review:
- Study of the operational impacts of the new provisions on prospectuses for structured products.
- Practical application of the new Annex 21 on ESG.
Person responsible and associated committee: Thiebald Cremers – Legal Committee & Corporate finance Committee