Spain EU Regulations

Spain EU Regulations

Spain Pushes Tough Regulations on Non-EU Hedge Funds

Spain is working to enact tougher regulations on non-European Union hedge funds causing further problems in negotiating the EU's Alternative Investment Fund Managers legislation.  Spain has taken the reins from Sweden as head of the EU and is pushing for a Swedish proposal to force foreign funds marketing their services inside EU countries to make their yearly report available to investors and regulators and be subject to tighter inspection by a regulator.
The foreign-funds clause has been one of the more contentious aspects of the EU's controversial Alternative Investment Fund Managers legistlation and has prompted accusations of protectionism by hedge-fund industry officials and the U.S. and U.K. governments.

The proposed change underscores the bloc's deep ideological divisions about regulating financial markets in the wake of the economic crisis. Germany, France and Italy are staunch critics of hedge funds and other aspects of financial markets that critics say have evolved beyond regulators' understanding and oversight.

The U.K. has taken the opposite stance, saying added scrutiny could push financial firms to find new venues with less stringent regulations. The foreign-funds clause in its current form would create "significant legal uncertainty," the Bank of England's Financial Markets Law Committee said in a report published Tuesday, which in turn could lead to "widespread market disruption." Source

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Tags: Spain EU Regulations, EU negotiations, European Union negotiations, Alternative Investment Fund Managers legislation, Financial reform, Europe, foreign funds