ESMA’s annual data report shows increased quality, wider use and digital progress

§ 01 Executive Snapshot

What: ESMA published its annual report on the quality and use of regulatory data, highlighting improvements and digital progress.
Who: European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), national competent authorities (NCAs).
Why it matters: The report emphasizes the importance of high-quality data in enhancing investor protection and maintaining market integrity in the EU.

Improvements in data quality have been observed across major regulatory datasets, including EMIR, SFTR, MiFIR, AIFMD, and MMFR.
ESMA is advancing efforts to simplify reporting by gathering stakeholder input through a 2025 Call for Evidence, focusing on streamlining reporting across EMIR, MiFIR, and SFTR.
The report now includes additional reporting regimes such as Prospectus reporting and ICT-related incident reporting under the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).

The expansion of ESMA’s data activities reflects a historical trend towards increasing regulatory scrutiny and the need for high-quality data in financial markets.
ESMA's initiatives align with broader EU efforts to modernize financial supervision and enhance market integrity through better data management.

The immediate consequence of these developments is a more effective supervision and market monitoring framework across the EU financial markets.
Long-term implications include a potential reduction in reporting burdens for market participants and improved efficiency in regulatory compliance.

Potential risks include the challenge of achieving full compliance from all stakeholders with new reporting requirements.
There may also be technical hurdles in implementing the integrated reporting framework and automation tools effectively.

ESMA will host a webinar on 18 June to present the main findings of the report, which could provide further insights into future regulatory changes.
Continued monitoring of stakeholder feedback and regulatory responses to the 2025 Call for Evidence will signal the success of these initiatives.

§ 07

What does ESMA's annual report focus on?

The report focuses on the quality and use of regulatory data, highlighting improvements and digital progress.

Why is high-quality data important according to the report?

High-quality data is crucial for enhancing investor protection and maintaining market integrity in the EU.

How is ESMA planning to simplify reporting?

ESMA is gathering stakeholder input through a 2025 Call for Evidence to streamline reporting across EMIR, MiFIR, and SFTR.

When will ESMA present the main findings of the report?

ESMA will host a webinar on 18 June to present the main findings of the report.