Irish Funds Hosts ESMA Leadership for Strategic Industry Dialogue in Dublin

Irish Funds was delighted to welcome senior representatives from the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to Dublin last week for an important exchange on the future of investment funds and asset management.

Irish Funds convened a two-hour lunch meeting with Verena Ross, ESMA Chair, and Joe Heavey, ESMA Team Lead for International and Institutional Affairs. The session brought together CEOs and Country Heads from across our membership, creating a valuable forum for open dialogue on key developments shaping the industry.

This meeting followed a technical-level discussion held with ESMA staff in Paris earlier this year, building on our ongoing engagement with European regulators.

Key Themes Discussed

• Industry Evolution: The changing nature of Ireland’s funds and asset management sector.

• Future Growth Areas: Opportunities in private assets and tokenisation.

• EU Policy Developments: Implications of the Savings and Investments Union and related regulatory initiatives.

• Retail Investor Participation: Risk-labelling approaches and behavioural “nudges” under consideration by regulators.

• Market Integration: The forthcoming European Commission Market Integration Package, where Irish Funds highlighted the global success of the UCITS brand and the importance of preserving it while reducing fragmentation in Europe’s single market.

The discussion was constructive and forward-looking, reinforcing the shared commitment to fostering a robust, competitive, and innovative European funds and asset management industry.

Irish Funds extends its sincere thanks to Verena Ross and Joe Heavey for their generous engagement, and to our Chairperson, Andrea Kelly FCA, for hosting the meeting at PwC’s offices.

We look forward to continuing this collaborative dialogue into 2026.