Funds Hub
Money managers under the microscope
AIMA claims “broad consensus” on EU hedge fund directive
For UK-based opponents of the controversial EU hedge fund directive, there are signs the draft could be overhauled.
Hedge fund industry body AIMA said today “there is now a broad consensus among European policymakers that the directive does need a lot of work and that there will be significant revisions”.
The group has been campaigning vigorously against the draft law, which proposes controls on leverage, which service providers can be used and where funds can be sold, and says it should instead focus on three areas — registration and authorisation, reporting of systemically-relevant data and a workable passport.
Given UK-based hedge fund managers are already regulated by the FSA and AIMA has already put forward proposals on reporting hedge fund positions to regulators, this would be a much-watered down version of the directive.
Draft chills hedgies
The horse-trading is over (for now) and the EU has published its draft directive on regulation for the hedge fund and private equity industries. EU commissioner Charlie McCreevy must be doing something right as his plans have angered parties on both sides of the fence.
The Alternative Investment Management Association is furious after claiming political manouevering has riddden roughshod over its own efforts to drive a “proportionate” industry-led solution which promised increased transparency. The Party of European Socialists (PES), meanwhile, appears equally frustrated.
