Press release – Commissioner McGuinness and Ambassador Shamshur among distinguished speakers at FESE Convention 2022

Published:

Tuesday 31st May 2022, Brussels – The Federation of European Securities Exchanges’ annual Convention will today host the first of two half-days of lively discussion on the future of European capital markets. Commissioner Mairead McGuinness will give the opening keynote speech, prior to headline interventions across the event from ESMA Chair, Verena Ross, Czech Finance Minister, Zybněk Stanjura, MEPs Danuta Hübner, Eero Heinäluoma and Ondřej Kovařík, and many other esteemed guests.

A mainstay of the European financial affairs calendar, the FESE Convention 2022 comes amid momentous times for Europe, geopolitically, environmentally, and economically. To secure its future competitiveness, through sustainable and inclusive growth, Europe needs to mobilise the full power of capital markets.

Proceedings on Tuesday 31st May will therefore centre on the issue of competitiveness, taking in the sustainable and digital transformations as well as the development of the CMU.

In recognition of the horrors which continue to take place in Ukraine, and as a mark of the exchange industry’s continued solidarity, FESE is also delighted to be able to welcome Oleh Shamshur, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium, to accept on behalf the Ukrainian government a financial donation from European exchanges.

The day will be rounded off with the customary awarding of the FESE De la Vega Prize.

The following morning, Wednesday 1st June, will be focused exclusively on the ongoing MiFIR review. FESE shares the Commission’s objectives in the MiFIR review proposal to increase transparency and liquidity, to strengthen the level playing field between execution venues, and to enhance the competitiveness of capital markets. The EU needs capital markets that fund the economy in the most inclusive and fair way for all investors, with the delivery of a robust and efficient price formation process – from which economy and society alike draw enormous benefit – central to this objective.

Over three hours of debate, speakers from industry and policymaking will be invited to dive deeply into the Commission’s proposals for market structure and the consolidated tape, and assess the extent to which they meet their objectives.

Petr Koblic, President of FESE, commented on the upcoming Convention:

“2022 is a potentially decisive year – across the next two days, we look forward to welcoming policymakers, regulators and industry participants to cast light on the future direction of Europe’s capital markets.”

FESE Director General, Rainer Riess, added:

“We are faced with simultaneous strategic challenges: climate breakdown, demographic ageing, rising inflation combined with stagnating living standards, as well as the impacts of war and the pandemic. Against this backdrop, we’ll be assessing how Europe can harness the essential role of exchanges in unlocking the investment flows needed to drive sustainable and inclusive growth.”

For further information, please contact:

Stephen Gilmore
FESE Communications Officer
gilmore@fese.eu
+32 2 551 01 87
+32 498 07 78 19