The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has responded to HM Treasury’s (HMT) consultation on improving the effectiveness of the Money Laundering Regulations. In respect of questions 1, 3–4, 10, the AFME has requested clarification on some elements of the question and have provided recommendations and discussion on the matters raised by the questions. In respect of questions 2, 5–7, 14–16, 20–21, 26–27, 29–30, 32–33, the AFME has expressed general agreement or support on the matters raised by the questions and provided their input. In respect of questions 1, 8–9, 11–13, 17–19, 31, 34–40 the AFME has provided recommendations and answers to the matters raised by the questions. In respect of questions 22–25, 28 and 41–55 the AFME did not provide a response.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has submitted a response to the UK government's call for evidence on the financial services growth and competitiveness strategy. AFME welcomes the government's prioritisation of financial services as a growth-driving sector and supports the sustainable finance package announced at Mansion House. AFME calls for targeted reforms to address structural issues in capital market funding, securitisation, investment research, and market data, aiming to boost the sector's growth and competitiveness. Additionally, AFME advocates for a proportionate and effective tax regime to support sustainable finance initiatives and the development of policy measures and investment vehicles to accommodate diverse capital approaches and risk tolerances.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has responded to the UK government's financial services growth and competitiveness strategy announced at Mansion House on 15 July 2025. The strategy introduces reforms that require regulators to develop long-term plans, modernises digital markets (including the implementation of share dematerialisation and e-signatures), develops sustainable finance standards and establishes a framework for gilt issuance based on distributed ledger technology (DLT). AFME supports the emphasis on regulatory simplification and international cooperation, while also noting that further strengthening the securitisation market could provide additional benefits to UK economic growth.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has submitted its response to the European Commission's consultation on climate resilience. AFME supports the establishment of a coherent legislative framework while opposing new reporting requirements for financial institutions. In its response, AFME endorses common EU climate reference trajectories, robust adaptation strategies and blended finance mechanisms. However, AFME identifies the lack of investable projects and quality data as key obstacles to scaling climate resilience investment.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has welcomed the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) consultation on introducing a UK equity consolidated tape (CT). It supports a commercially viable, single, competitively tendered tape including attributed pre-trade and post-trade data from launch, aligned with EU initiatives to improve market transparency and UK competitiveness. AFME says broader reforms to the Reasonable Commercial Basis framework are still needed to address market data costs and availability.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has published updated guidance on recommended environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure and diligence practices for the European high yield market. The guidance outlines sustainability-related factors relevant to capital markets offerings, including high yield bond and leveraged finance transactions, and provides an overview of the evolving regulatory landscape in Europe and the UK. It is intended to support ongoing work on ESG matters, particularly in relation to disclosure and diligence practices. An annex to the guidance includes a high yield ESG due diligence questionnaire, which provides a suggested framework for ESG due diligence in high yield and leveraged finance transactions.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has urged EU policymakers to use the forthcoming Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP) to strengthen competition across the capital markets ecosystem, stating that this will be critical to enhancing investor choice, improving market efficiency, and mobilising capital at scale to support long-term growth.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has published its feedback regarding the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group's (EFRAG) Exposure Drafts revising the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). This review is a central part of the EU's Sustainability Omnibus initiative and aims to reduce reporting burdens for companies while ensuring investors and banks continue to receive meaningful sustainability information.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has welcomed the European Parliament's legal affairs committee's adoption of its position on the Sustainability Omnibus proposal. The proposal amends the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), with the aim of simplifying sustainability reporting and due diligence requirements. The Parliament’s position now awaits formal adoption in plenary, which is expected during October 2025, prior to the commencement of trilogue discussions.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has welcomed the appointment of a platform provider for the UK’s Digital Gilt Instrument (DIGIT) Pilot, announced on 12 February 2026, marking a key milestone towards the UK’s first digital gilt issuance. AFME urged HM Treasury and the Debt Management Office to maintain momentum, set an ambitious issuance calendar and integrate distributed ledger technology into future gilt programmes to support capital markets digitisation and competitiveness.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has welcomed a provisional agreement on the EU Sustainability Omnibus proposal amending the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). The agreed simplifications cover three areas: (1) simplifying sustainability reporting to enhance relevance and reduce reporting burdens; (2) streamlining reporting across corporate groups and (3) simplifying transition planning and due diligence requirements. The European Commission adopted the original Omnibus I simplification package on 26 February 2025 to simplify CSRD and CSDDD requirements. AFME has called for swift implementation of the political agreement and encouraged continued efforts to streamline EU financial services regulation, including simplifying the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, reviewing EU Taxonomy reporting and reviewing banking legislation and supervisory requirements.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has published its European environmental, social and governance (ESG) Finance Report for Q1 2026. Key statistics include: (i) ESG bond and loan issuance totalled €153bn in proceeds in Q1 2026, a 24% decline from Q1 2025, (ii) green bond issuance declined by 4.6% from Q1 2025, though remaining the largest ESG category by volume, and generating €87.4 billion in proceeds, (iii) ESG-labelled, sustainability-linked and transition bonds represented 13.6% of total European bond issuance in Q1 2026, from 10.9% in 2025, (iv) nine EU Green Bond Standard (EU GBS)-compliant bonds have been issued, and (v) global ESG Funds totalled USD12.6 trillion in Q1 2026.