The European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), which include the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Banking Authority (EBA), and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA), have released a new assessment of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR). The assessment proposes changes to the regulation, including new “Sustainable” and “Transition” categories for financial products like investment funds, life insurance, and pension products.
This follows the European Commission’s review of the SFDR framework, aimed at establishing consistent rules for financial market participants on transparency in sustainability risks and impacts. The current SFDR classifications, including ‘Article 8’ and ‘Article 9’ funds, have been criticized for being used as unofficial sustainability labels, raising greenwashing concerns.
The ESAs support the introduction of regulatory product categories to address these issues and provide clarity for investors. They propose a “Sustainable” category for products that invest in environmentally or socially sustainable activities, and a “Transition” category for products aiming to become sustainable over time. A new sustainability indicator is also suggested to grade financial products.
Additional proposals include disclosure and marketing requirements for products with sustainability features, restrictions on the use of ESG-related terms for non-qualifying products, and a disclaimer for products without sustainability features. The ESAs also call for the completion and extension of the EU Taxonomy to social sustainability.
Eurosif, the European sustainable and responsible investment association, generally supports the proposals but stresses the need for strict safeguards to prevent greenwashing.