On 7 April 2025, HM Treasury published a consultation to overhaul the regulation of Alternative Investment Fund Managers (“AIFMs“) in the United Kingdom (“Consultation“). The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA“) has published a call for input alongside the Consultation (“Call for Input“), which indicates its approach to regulating

Rachel Lowe
Rachel E. Lowe is a special regulatory counsel in the Corporate Department and a member of the Private Investment Funds Group.
Rachel advises on financial services regulation specializing in sustainable finance and ESG regulation. She has particular expertise in drafting and advising on the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) and the Taxonomy Regulation. Rachel has also supported with EU MiFID and AIFMD sustainability updates for clients, including from a governance and organizational perspective, as well as providing drafting and training support. She also advises on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), including analysis of its applicability for large international group structures.
From a UK perspective, Rachel supports clients with the TCFD-related requirements in the Financial Conduct Authority’s ESG Sourcebook and is increasingly engaged on the UK’s Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR).
More broadly, Rachel has worked with litigation colleagues to assist clients with understanding and mitigating greenwashing-related legal and regulatory risk.
Regulation Round Up
Welcome to the Regulation Round Up, a regular bulletin highlighting the latest developments in UK and EU financial services regulation.
Key developments in March 2025:
31 March
Securitisation: The Joint Committee of the European Supervisory Authorities (“ESAs”) published a report on the implementation and functioning of the Securitisation Regulation (2017/2402)
27 March
FCA…
CSRD and CSDDD Officially Delayed, With Huge Majority of MEPs in Support
On 3 April 2025, the European Parliament voted to postpone the implementation dates for corporate sustainability due diligence and reporting requirements, as the first step in the European Commission’s “Omnibus” simplification package to reduce administrative requirements of companies and aimed to bolster the competitiveness of the European Union. With 531 votes for, 69 against and…
Momentum on Voting on the Omnibus Delay and Updating Corporate Sustainability Reporting Requirements
Vote to delay
On 1 April 2025, the European Parliament approved the “urgent procedure” with regards to the “Omnibus” package of proposals to streamline corporate sustainability requirements.
The next step to vote on the “stop-the-clock” proposal will take place on 3 April 2025.
The approval of the urgent procedure of the Omnibus passed with…
European Council Greenlights First Step of Omnibus – The ‘Stop-the-clock’ Proposal
On 26 March 2025, the European Council approved its position, known as a “negotiating mandate”, on a key element of the European Commission’s proposal to streamline corporate sustainability requirements which are captured in an “Omnibus”. Specifically, they approved a delay to the current timetable of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”)…
EU Platform on Sustainable Finance Focuses on Usefulness of Taxonomy in Response to European Commission Proposal
On the 26 March 2025, the EU Platform on Sustainable Finance (“Platform”) responded to the European Commission’s call for evidence on the draft delegated regulation amending the Taxonomy Delegated Acts[1] (the “Taxonomy”).
The Platform welcomes many of the proposed amendments and notes that several of the Platform’s recommendations from their…
UK Financial Regulators Drop Diversity and Inclusion Rules but Keep Culture in Focus
On 11 March 2025, the UK’s financial regulators confirmed they have decided not to move forward with proposed diversity and inclusion (D&I) rules for financial firms. This decision in a letter by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and a letter by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) marks the end…
Defence – A Sustainable Investment? A View From The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority
On 11 March 2025, the Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) published a statement clarifying that their rules, including with regards to sustainability, do not prevent investment in or financing of defence companies. The FCA confirmed that it is at the discretion of investors or lenders as to whether they provide capital to defence…
FCA’s Private Market Valuations Review – Good Practice but Room for Improvement
Background
On 5 March 2025, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published the findings of its multi-firm review of valuation processes for private market assets (the “Review”). The Review covered firms operating in range of private asset classes, including: venture capital, infrastructure (equity and debt), private equity and private debt.…
Regulation Round Up
Welcome to the Regulation Round Up, a regular bulletin highlighting the latest developments in UK and EU financial services regulation.
Key developments in February 2025:
28 February
FCA Handbook Changes: The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published Handbook Notice 127, which sets out changes to the FCA Handbook made by the FCA board on…