The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has published its European High Yield and Leveraged Loan report which contains European leveraged finance market trends for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2024, including issuance and credit performance figures for the high yield and leveraged loan markets.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has published its Securitisation Data Snapshot for Q2 2026.  AFME reports that European securitisation issuance totalled €64.3 billion in Q2 2026, representing a 7.9% increase from Q1 2026 and a 12.7% decrease from Q2 2025. Of this, €52.1 billion was placed representing 81.1% of total issuance, compared with €43.3 billion placed in Q1 2026 and €34.9 billion placed in Q2 2025. In Q2 2026, pan-European collateralised loan obligations led placed totals, although issuance decreased from €16.0 billion in Q1 2026 to €14.9 billion. This was followed by UK residential mortgage-backed securities, which increased from €4.9 billion to €12.4 billion and German auto asset-backed securities, which increased from €3.2 billion to €4.7 billion.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has published its Government Bond Data Report for Q2 2024. The report provides a comprehensive data source with updated statistics on the government bond primary and second markets. The statistics show that government bond and bill issuance in the EU Member States and the UK during Q2 2024 increased by 5.7% quarter on quarter (QoQ) compared to Q1 2024 and rose 7.3% year on year (YoY) compared to Q2 2023.

The Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME) has released its Q4 2024 European environmental, social and governance (ESG) finance report, revealing significant growth despite a mixed market performance. Key findings include: ESG bond and loan issuance increased 12.6% year-on-year to €689bn; green bonds reached a record high of €300bn; sustainable, social and sustainability-linked bonds maintained their decline; ESG securitisation market reached €5.5bn; while the proportion of ESG bonds in total European issuance has continued to decline from 2022, with 14% in 2024.

This Practice Note contains a summary of new developments and updated documents published by the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME). It is updated and reviewed regularly and covers items published from December 2024 onwards. Information in this Practice Note is also included in relevant Banking & Finance Practice Notes where appropriate. All of the AFME updates referred to in this Practice Note were originally published on the AFME website (subscription required for full access). Commentary and related documents are provided by Lexis+® UK Banking & Finance. 2026 Date of update/announcement from AFME AFME news 14 August 2026 AFME responds to Commission's consultation on CSDDD due diligence guidelinesWhy? AFME has submitted a consultation response to the European Commission's consultation on guidelines for conducting due diligence under Article 19 of the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). AFME calls for the guidelines to be practical, proportionate and flexible, recommending a safe harbour for good-faith documented efforts where legal or practical barriers prevent access to supplier information. It urges the Commission to avoid mandating a single

Armed forces pension scheme.

The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) has announced its first 2025 arbitration training session, 'Efficiency in Arbitration: Balancing Fairness, Time, and Cost’, scheduled for 31 July 2025 in Sandton. The session will feature speakers from AFSA, HKA, Pinsent Masons, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Commercial Bar Association. The training series will cover topics including the role of AI and technology in arbitration, emergency arbitration procedures, and the procedural complexities of review proceedings. The programme is designed for a wide audience, including arbitration practitioners, tribunal members, legal counsel, and in-house legal teams seeking to enhance their understanding of arbitration best practices. Registration closes on 24 July 2025.

The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) has announced the establishment of the Africa Forum Conflict Resolution Centre (AFCRC) following the signing of a Letter of Understanding (LoU). The LoU was signed during the opening session of Johannesburg Arbitration Week 2026 by former African heads of state representing the Forum for Former African Heads of State and Government (Africa Forum). According to AFSA, the AFCRC will focus on mediation and negotiation support, training and capacity building, and the development of conflict resolution initiatives aimed at addressing ongoing conflicts across the continent. AFSA states that the AFCRC will also train African women as mediators and technical advisers in conflict prevention, reconciliation, peace operations and broader peacebuilding efforts.

The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) has announced an event, hosted in collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and HKA, taking place on 7 November 2024 in Sandton, South Africa. The event will be an interactive panel discussion on ways to maximise the effectiveness of expert witnesses in ADR, particularly in arbitration and adjudication.

The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) has published the agenda for the Johannesburg Arbitration Week event taking place from 5–7 May 2026.

The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA) has announced the publication of its new International Rules (the International Rules) which took effect on 1 June 2021. AFSA has revised the rules to reflect best international practice under the leadership of a Drafting Committee, chaired by Professor Maxi Sherer, and an Advisory Board made up of experts, academics and practitioners from around the world. Key changes include the introduction of the AFSA Court, members of which consist of senior international and African practitioners, and a Secretariat. The International Rules also include provisions concerning ‘multi-party/multi-contract issues, providing for expedited procedures, regulating ethics and professional conduct and third-party funding, emergency arbitrations, transparency and provision for joinder, consolidation, and multiple contracts’. Further, AFSA’s press release states the International Rules will be adopted for use in cross-border disputes in the South African Development Community.

This Practice Note is an introduction to the Fast Track Rules of the AIDA Reinsurance and Insurance and Arbitration Society of the UK or the ARIAS Fast Track Rules (AFTAR Rules), effective from 3 October 2013 which govern insurance and reinsurance arbitration proceedings. For a general introduction to ARIAS, see Practice Note: Arbitration under the ARIAS (UK) Rules 2014. AFTAR was developed to respond to concerns from the insurance and reinsurance markets that traditional arbitration, even under the ARIAS Rules, was time-consuming and not cost-effective in its reliance on a three-person panel. AFTAR include both rules and explanatory notes. If an explanatory note conflicts with the rules, the rules take precedence. Key differences from the ARIAS Rules AFTAR is broadly similar in its overall structure to the ARIAS Rules, and many aspects are materially identical: the procedures for commencing an arbitration and serving notice, the arbitrator’s jurisdiction, the structure of the award, liability for fees and expenses and provisions on costs follow the same basic approach. There are several key differences in AFTAR