E6 states seek common position on capital market supervision
Efforts Toward Unified Capital Market Supervision in Europe
By Maria Martinez
Background of the Proposal
BERLIN, May 28 (Reuters) - The finance ministers of the six biggest European economies (E6) were seeking on Thursday to find a common position on a European Commission proposal for joint capital market supervision, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said.
The European Commission presented a plan in December to better integrate EU capital markets through joint supervision, moving it from national authorities to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in Paris.
Objectives of the Capital Market Supervision Package
"This package will contribute to a sovereign Europe, to the mobilization of capital at European level, and to overcoming the fragmented single market," Klingbeil said.
Current Discussions Among E6 Ministers
The ministers of Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands are meeting in Berlin on Thursday to discuss how to advance the capital markets union.
Previous Support and Outstanding Issues
The E6 had already come out in support of centralised capital markets supervision in the EU in a letter seen by Reuters in March, but many details still need to be clarified, including ESMA's resources and staffing, its areas of competence, and a plan for the transition phase.
Areas for Further Exploration
"The task now is to explore where centralization creates real added value — and where it merely creates unnecessary duplicate structures," Klingbeil said.
Implications for EU Competitiveness
The push for financial market players to be supervised at an EU rather than national level is part of an attempt, led by France and Germany, to boost the bloc's competitiveness as it struggles with weak growth and fierce competition from the U.S. and China.
Next Steps and Timeline
Klingbeil said that reaching a common position among the E6 - the goal for Thursday - would be an important step, but not yet a full European agreement, since 21 other EU member states would still need to be involved.
The minister added that he expects the package to be adopted at a European level by the end of 2026, with the approval of EU governments and the European Parliament.
"That would be real progress for the capital markets union," Klingbeil said.
(Reporting by Maria MartinezEditing by Madeline Chambers, Aidan Lewis)
