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Information and news of the Luxembourg government

Ministry of Finance

The “Commissariat aux Assurances” (Insurance Commission) is the Luxembourg authority competent for the supervision of the insurance sector.

Gateway to international securities. More than 4,100 issuers from about 100 jurisdictions are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The new consultation portal enables to access financial data and electronic prospectuses.

Luxembourg Central Bank

Administration of direct taxes

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) was created by Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 of 24 November 2010 in order to enhance the European System of Financial Supervision of which it is one of the three new supervisory authorities. ESMA is an indepenent authority of the European Union with legal personality acting in order to ensure efficiency and coherence regarding prudential regulation and supervision in all the financial markets. ESMA officially took over the responsibilities and tasks of the Committee of European Securities Regulators (CESR) on 1 January 2011.

ESMA is independent but reports to the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.

Its main objectives consist in:

• safeguarding financial stability in the EU and ensuring the integrity, efficiency and sound functioning of the financial markets;
• drawing up compulsory standards and intervening by using binding measures;
• improving the coordination between the regulators of securities markets;
• intervening as a consultative group in charge of assisting the European Commission, particularly when preparing implementing measures in the field of securities;
• work in order to ensure the coherent and quick implementation of EU regulations in the Member States.

The European Banking Authority (EBA) was created by Regulation (EU) No 1093/2010 of 24 November 2010 in order to enhance the European System of Financial Supervision of which it is one of the three new supervisory authorities. The EBA is an independent authority of the European Union with legal personality acting in order to ensure efficiency and coherence regarding prudential regulation and supervision in the entire European banking sector. The EBA officially took over the responsibilities and tasks of the Committee of European Banking Supervisors (CEBS) on 1 January 2011.

The EBA is independent but reports to the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.

One of the missions of the EBA is to contribute to the stability and to the efficiency of the financial system in the short, medium and long term:

• by improving the functioning of the internal market using a satisfactory, efficient and consistent level of regulation and supervision;
• by avoiding regulatory arbitrage and by fostering equal conditions of competition;
• by ensuring that credit risk taking or other is correctly regulated and supervised;
• by enhancing consumer protection;
• by ensuring the consistent functioning of the colleges of supervisory authorities, the follow-up, the assessment and the systemic risk measurement, as well as the drawing-up and coordination of rescue plans and deficiency resolutions.

The EBA has therfore the right to gather and exchange information, promote risks assessments as well as make and coordinate crisis simulations at EU level in order to assess the resilience of the financial institutions (“stress tests”).

The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) was created by Regulation (EU) No 1094/2010 of 24 November 2010 in order to enhance the European System of Financial Supervision of which it is one of the three new supervisory authorities. EIOPA is an independent authority of the European Union with legal personality acting in order to ensure efficiency and coherence regarding the prudential regulation and supervision in the fields of insurance and professional pensions. EIOPA officially took over the responsibilities and tasks of the Committee of European Insurance and Occupational Pension Supervisors (CEIOPS) on 1 January 2011.

EIOPA is independent but reports to the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission.

Its main objectives consist in:

• safeguarding the financial stability in the EU and ensure the integrity, efficiency and sound functioning of the financial markets;
• improving the protection of consumers, policyholders, pension schemes and their beneficiaries in order to win back their trust in the financial system;
• ensuring a high level of efficiency in the regulation and harmonising in a coherent manner the application of the rules for the financial institutions and markets across the European Union;
• taking into account the interests of all the Member States and the difference of their financial institutions;
• enhancing the supervision of crossborder groups;
• promoting a coordinated response from the European Union at the supervisory level;
• fostering the stability of the financial system;
• ensuring transpareny of the markets and of the financial products, supervise and identify their trends, prossible risks and vulnerabilities across the borders and across the sectors.

The ESRB was created by Regulation (EU) No 1092/2010 of 24 November 2010. It is in charge of the macro-prudential oversight of the financial system within the Union in order to contribute to the prevention or mitigation of systemic risks to financial stability in the Union that arise from developments within the financial system and taking into account macro-economic developments, so as to avoid periods of widespread financial distress.

For this purpose, the ESRB shall carry out the following tasks:

• determining, collecting and analysing all the relevant and necessary information;
• identifying and prioritising systemic risks;
• issuing warnings where such systemic risks are deemed to be significant and, where appropriate, make those warnings public;
• issuing recommendations for remedial action in response to the risks identified and, where appropriate, making those recommendations public;
• monitoring the follow-up to warnings and recommendations;
• cooperating closely with all the other parties to the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS);
• coordinating its actions with those of international financial organisations, as well as the relevant bodies in third countries on matters related to macro-prudential oversight.

The ECB is the central bank for Europe’s single currency, the euro. The ECB’s main task is to maintain the euro’s purchasing power and thus price stability in the euro area. The euro area comprises the 18 European Union countries that have introduced the euro since 1999.

European Commission

IOPS is an independent international body representing those involved in the supervision of private pension arrangements.

International Organization of Securities Commission

The BIS is an international organisation which fosters cooperation among central banks and other agencies in pursuit of monetary and financial stability. Its banking services are provided exclusively to central banks and international organisations.

The Luxembourg Bankers’ Association (ABBL) is the professional organisation of most of the banks established in Luxembourg and also of other financial sector operators. Its purpose is to defend and foster the professional interests of its members.

The site of the ALFI is principally aimed at people working professionally in the investment fund industry. The site provides statistical data on the Luxembourg investment fund sector, information on the legal and regulatory framework and a practical guide for those who wish to create an investment fund in Luxembourg. The site also gives detailed information on the activity, objectives and structure of ALFI.

The “Association Luxembourgeoise des Professionnels du Patrimoine” is a non-profit organisation. It includes over 100 independent companies, established in Luxembourg, whose interaction with each other covers the entire range of financial and asset-management services for an international clientele of companies and private individuals.

The Association aims at bringing together Compliance Officers of the financial or insurance sectors in Luxembourg. It aims at enhancing communication and the exchange of ideas between its members through regular meetings, participation in internal and external working groups, as well as by organising conferences and debates regarding ethical and compliance issues for the financial sector in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Intensifying promotion of the image of the Luxembourg financial centre through structured and professional action – that is the declared goal of the Luxembourg Financial Industry Federation that has been set up under the name PROFIL by the operators who play an active role in the financial centre.

The purpose of ILA, a not-for-profit organisation composed mainly of company directors, is to inform them on matters that are of concern to them, to provide them with training on the rights and responsibilities that they face, but also to represent them and defend their rights vis-à-vis the various public and private institutional decision makers.

Luxembourg for Finance

The section “sanctions financières internationales” (international financial sanctions) of the website states I) the prohibitions and financial restrictive measures regarding the fight against terrorist financing and II) the other prohibitions and financial restrictive measures

EC database containing the names and identification details of all persons, groups and entities targeted by financial restrictions

Financial Intelligence Unit

Financial Action Task Force

IOSCO receives alerts and warnings from its members about firms which are not authorised to provide investment services in the jurisdiction which issued the alert or warning. Some of the alerts or warnings are about unauthorised firms using names similar to those of authorised firms or about unauthorised firms falsely claiming to be associated with authorised firms.