Integrated reporting can help to better understand the businesses and consequently the associated risks of a company. Therefore, from an investors point of view the better understanding of allocation of capital and long term return perspectives are key to make an appropriate company evaluation.” Frank Klein, EFFAS representative in the IIRC Council

The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) is a global coalition of regulators, investors, companies, standard setters, the accounting profession and NGOs. The coalition is promoting communication about value creation as the next step in the evolution of corporate reporting. The IIRC’s mission is to establish integrated reporting and thinking within mainstream business practice as the norm in the public and private sectors. The coalition comprises entities drawn from broad global communities, including business and other reporting entities; providers of financial capital; policy makers, regulators, the accounting profession, reporting framework developers and standard setters and civil society.

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The chairman of EFFAS, Jesús López Zaballos, introduced the masterclass "European Legislation of the Capital Market", by the general director of FISMA-Financial Markets at European Commission, Ugo Bassi; together with the president of AIAF (Associazione Italiana degli Analisti e Consulenti Finanziari), Alberto Borgia.

The conference, organized by AIAF, took place on April 11 in a magnificent setting, such as Spazio Bigli, in Milan (Italy). The session was presented by Jesús López Zaballos, chairman of the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies (EFFAS), who underlined the role of our Federation as a standard setter in the financial field.

In his speech, Ugo Bassi focused on the state of integration of the Capital Markets in Europe and, within it, the harmonization of the rules for the distribution of financial products and unique supervision.

Zaballos gave an interview to Aga Barberini, member of AIAF and CIIA Holders Italy. In it he underlined the importance of professional certifications (diplomas CEFA and CIIA) for financial analysts and portfolio managers, as it will soon become mandatory for them, at the same the way in which MiFIDII imposed greater professional requisites on financial advisors.

EFFAS is cooperating with ESMA, the European Securities and Markets Authority, in order to issue a specific regulation and in view of MiFIDIII. Zaballos also specified that advancing robots in finance should not scare anybody, because fintech represents a major upgrade for analysts and advisors and will never fully replace a professional, especially when we talk about High Net Worth.

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Last 9 of March 2018, the EFFAS Commission on ESG meet in Wien. Mr. Mostboeck, Chairman of the commission welcome the meeting and did the instruction on behalf of EFFAS and OVFA, followed by a presentation from Mr. Dominik Benedikt, Senior Research Analyst SR Investments, Erste Asset Management, and a Presentation from Dr. Herbert Ritsch, CPM & EFFAS ESG Analyst, Director Sustainability and Institutional Clients, BankhausSchelhammer&Schattera.

Mr. Gunnar Friede, Portfolio Manager for the Deutsche Asset Management and Mr. Frank Klein, Managing Director, Deutsche Asset Management, DVFA and EFFAS Board Member,presentedand opened a discussion on the draft DVFA position paper (5 Propositions on Sustainable Finance for Investment Professionals).

Additional members of the CESG commission that attended the meeting and discussions were Mr. Jose Luis Blasco, KPMG; Mr. Jean-Philippe Desmartin, Edmond de Rothschild Asset Management, Mr. Andrea Gasperini, Responsible AIAF Mission Intangibles, and Mr. Felix Schnella, Ökoworld Luxemburg.

The meeting was sponsored by OVFA (Austrian Association for Financial Analysis and Asset Management)at Erste Campus in Wien

The EMC unanimously approved the co-opting of Mr. Bielmeier, in substitution of Mr. Frank Klein and which term of office expires in June 2020.

Stefan Bielmeier is Head of Research and Economics and Chief Economist at DZ BANK and Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Association for Financial Analysis and Asset Management (DVFA - Deutsche Vereinigung für Finanzanalyse und Asset Management e.V.), the society of investment professionals in Germany.

The current composition of the EFFAS EMC:

• Chairman, Jesus López Zaballos (IEAF, Spain)
• Deputy Char, Friedrich Mostböck (ÖVFA, Austria)
• Treasurer, Hans Buysse (ABAF-BVFA, Belgium)
• Jean Baptiste Bellon (SFAF, France)
• Stefan Bielmeier (DVFA, Germany)
• Alberto Borgia (AIAF, Italy)
• Manuel Puerta da Costa (APAF, Portugal)

EFFAS EMC would like to thank Frank Klein, DVFA representative at the EFFAS EMC since June 2009 for his excellent contribution and dedication of during his term of office.