Financial services

We are implementing measures to develop a savings and investments union, a vital project for the EU’s competitiveness and growth. It aims to foster a more integrated and dynamic capital market and to mobilise private capital into productive investments for the benefits of citizens and businesses.  

We constantly monitor new risks to financial stability, consumer protection or market integrity, so we can react quickly when needed. We also support the digital transformation of financial services, while mitigating potential risks.  We collaborate closely with other EU supervisory authorities and international bodies, because the EU is connected to the global financial system.

Our key objectives are to:

• advance the savings and investments union to better connect savings and productive businesses
• empower Europeans to take well‑informed financial decisions
• build an EU single market for capital with appropriate regulation and high‑quality financial reporting, while minimising the administrative burden on companies
• create a robust regulatory and supervisory framework for banks, insurers and pension funds
• create tools and policies for the financial sector that help the EU reach its climate and environmental goals
• enable the financial sector to reap the benefits of digitalisation while managing its risks
• fight money laundering and terrorist financing, and impose sanctions when needed
• advance international regulatory cooperation on all financial matters

Key achievements

• Following the financial crisis, the EU improved its financial supervision system to make the regulatory process in financial services quicker and more effective.
• The Listing Act will make EU public capital markets more attractive and make it easier for companies of all sizes, including SMEs, to list on European stock exchanges.
• New prudential rules as part of the banking package are helping banks stay resilient during economic uncertainty, in line with international standards.
• The EU has updated rules to strengthen the insurance regulatory framework, while allowing insurers to invest more in the real economy.
• The EU has become a global leader in digital finance with the Markets in Crypto-assets Regulation, the first comprehensive set of rules for cryptocurrencies.
• The anti-money laundering package established a single set of rules and a new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority, to strengthen market integrity and prevent and detect financial crime more effectively.
• In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the EU has adopted sanctions to weaken Russia's economic base, limiting its access to critical technologies and markets, and significantly reducing its ability to wage war.