EC adopts new measures on company transparency

The European Commission has adopted measures supplementing the EU legal framework established by the Directive on transparency obligations of listed companies (2004/109/EC). This follows a positive vote of the European Securities Committee and a strong endorsement from the European Parliament last October.

The Transparency Directive and its implementing measures will improve the quality of information available to investors on companies’ performance and financial position as well as on changes in major shareholdings.

Internal Market and Services Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said “These measures say how EU rules on the transparency of company information should work in practice. They will make a big difference to investor protection, investor confidence and the functioning of European capital markets.”

The Commission’s implementing measures supplement the Transparency Directive with regard to: issuers’ disclosure of financial information in half-yearly reports; investors’ disclosure of major holdings; minimum standards for the pan-European dissemination of regulated information to the public; and, minimum requirements for accepting equivalence of third-country regulations in respect of some elements of the Directive.

Member states were due to write the Transparency Directive into their national laws by January 20, and the implementing measures a year later.