UCITs meaning

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note is archived and is no longer maintained. UCITS is the acronym for undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities. The expression derives from Directive (EC) 85/611 concerning the coordination of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (the Original UCITS Directive), which was adopted in 1985. The purpose of the Original UCITS Directive was to establish a single market for open-ended retail investment funds that offered enhanced protection for investors. The UCITS framework has been updated on several occasions, with the Management Company Directive 2001/107/EU adopted in 2002 and the Product Directive 2001/108/EU implemented in 2005 (together referred to as UCITS III); followed by implementation in 2011 of Directive 2009/65/EC (the UCITS Directive, also called UCITS IV), which repealed and replaced the Original UCITS Directive; and Directive 2014/91/EU (UCITS V), which was transposed into national law on 18 March 2016...

This timeline outlines key developments linked to the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (EU) 2011/61/EU (EU AIFMD) from January 2024 onwards. For earlier developments, see Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD)—timeline [Archived]. For further guidance on EU AIFMD, see Practice Note: EU AIFMD—essentials. For guidance on the UK Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) regime, see Practice Note: UK regulation of alternative investment fund managers—essentials. 2026 13 March 2026 — ESMA — Guidelines on Liquidity Management Tools (LMTs) for UCITS and open-ended AIFs. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published guidelines on LMTs for UCITS and open-ended AIFs...

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note is archived and is no longer maintained. This Timeline charts the proposal for the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation and the ensuing EU and UK developments concerning the Regulation. Within the EU, the European Commission undertook extensive work on shadow banking, culminating in its September 2013 Communication on Shadow Banking. Among its priorities was boosting transparency around securities financing transactions (SFTs). It also called for improvements to the regulatory framework for investment funds, including undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS) and alternative investment funds (AIFs) (see Practice Notes: Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities—essentials and UK regulation of alternative investment fund managers—essentials for further information). The EU Regulation on reporting and transparency of securities financing transactions, Regulation (EU) 2015/2365 (the EU SFTR), represents the Commission’s legislative response to the issues highlighted in the Communication. Most provisions of the EU SFTR took effect on 12 January 2016. After the Brexit transition period ended, the EU SFTR was retained in the UK as Retained Regulation...

The defined terms in the flowchart shall have the following meaning: Appointed Representative Regulations — the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Appointed Representatives) Regulations 2001, SI 2001/1217 Business Order — the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Carrying on Regulated Activities by Way of Business) Order 2001, SI 2001/1177 Exemption Order — the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Exemption) Order 2001, SI 2001/1201 Non-Exempt Activities Order — the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Professions) (Non-Exempt Activities) Order 2001, SI 2001/1227 PRA-regulated activities — denotes regulated activities designated as PRA‑regulated activities under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (PRA‑regulated Activities) Order 2013, SI 2013/556 RAO — the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001, SI 2001/544 UCITS qualifier — carries the meaning attributed to it in the Glossary of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Handbook To determine whether an activity is regulated, follow the flowchart below. Click below to view or print...

In this issue: UK, EU and international regulators and bodies Authorisation, approval and supervision Prudential requirements Financial crime and sanctions Consumer protection Complaints, compensation and claims management Investigations, enforcement and discipline Regulation of capital markets Dispute resolution for financial services lawyers Regulation of derivatives Sustainable finance and ESG Banks and mutuals UK MiFID II EU MiFID II Consumer credit Regulation of insurance Payment services and systems Fintech and cryptoassets LexTalk®Financial Services: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary UK, EU and international regulators and bodies FCA publishes Handbook Notice No 135 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued Handbook Notice No 134, outlining amendments to the FCA Handbook and related materials approved by the FCA board on 27 November 2025. See: LNB News 28/11/2025 48. ESMA sets out planned consultations for...

In this issue: UK, EU and international regulators and bodies Authorisation, approval and supervision Accountability, culture and social governance Prudential requirements Operational resilience Financial crime and sanctions Complaints, compensation and claims management Investigations, enforcement and discipline Regulation of capital markets Regulation of derivatives Banks and mutuals Investment funds and asset management MiFID II Regulation of insurance Payment services and systems Fintech and cryptoassets Financial Services Enforcement Database Daily and weekly news alerts Intraday news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary UK, EU and international regulators and bodies ESAs highlight role of behavioural insights in supervisory and policy work The three European Supervisory Authorities — the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) — have issued a joint report arising from their February 2024 workshop on integrating...

In this issue: Prudential requirements Financial crime and sanctions Complaints, compensation and claims management Investigations, enforcement and discipline Regulation of capital markets Sustainable finance and ESG Banks and mutuals Investment funds and asset management UK MiFID II Consumer credit, mortgage and home finance Regulation of insurance FSMA regulated pensions activity Payment services and systems Financial Services Enforcement Database Daily and weekly news alerts Intraday news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Prudential requirements COREPER asked to endorse agreement on CCP concentration risk treatment After the European Parliament adopted, in April 2024, a proposal for a directive of the Parliament and the Council to amend Directive 2009/65/EC (UCITS), Directive 2013/36/EU (CRD IV) and the Investment Firms Directive (EU) 2019/2034 (IFD), the Council of the EU’s General Secretariat released an ‘I/A’ Item Note inviting the Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee (COREPER) to confirm its agreement...

This Practice Note examines core aspects of the UK framework for money market funds (MMFs) that stems from Regulation (EU) 2017/1131 (the EU MMF Regulation). It also looks at suggested changes to the framework, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), HM Treasury and the Bank of England (BoE) working jointly to bolster its resilience and align it with post‑Brexit regulatory objectives. For background on the EU MMF Regulation, see Practice Note: EU MMF Regulation—essentials. What is an MMF? Money market funds (MMFs) are investment funds that invest in short‑term debt instruments and so play a significant role in the short‑term financing of the economy. In particular, MMFs are open‑ended, liquid investment funds that invest in fixed income through short‑term debt, for example money market instruments issued by banks, governments or companies (including treasury bills, commercial paper and certificates of deposit) which pay interest. They therefore form an important connection between demand for, and the supply of, short‑term debt. Further information on the eligible assets of an MMF is...

This quick guide to Regulation (EU) 1286/2014 on key information documents (KIDs) for packaged retail and insurance-based investment products (PRIIPs) sets out the current UK legislation and retained EU measures as amended by the Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/403 (the PRIIPs Exit Regulations or SI 2019/403), as further modified by The Financial Services (Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, SI 2020/628 and other instruments, at the close of the implementation period following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. It also highlights related updates to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules and guidance. The summary below explains the approach to onshoring EU requirements for PRIIPs after the Brexit implementation period... Overview of onshored and preserved EU-derived law The PRIIPs Exit Regulations form part of HM Treasury’s programme of statutory instruments under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EU(W)A 2018), prepared as contingency for a no-deal Brexit. These Regulations contribute to ‘onshoring’ EU law to secure legal continuity once the UK left the...

Temporary permissions regime (TPR) and temporary marketing permissions regime (TMPR) This Practice Note examines the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)/Bank of England (BoE) temporary permissions regime (TPR) and the temporary marketing permissions regime (TMPR), introduced at the close of the implementation period following the UK’s exit from the EU. The TPR has concluded (31 December 2023). In contrast, the TMPR for EEA UCITS remains operative and has been extended to 31 December 2026 to aid transition to the Overseas Funds Regime (OFR). These arrangements allowed EEA passporting firms and funds to continue UK activities for a limited duration after the implementation period while pursuing full UK authorisation or recognition. The European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (EU(W)A 2018), as amended by the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 (EU(WA)A 2020), enabled ratification and domestic implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU. The Withdrawal Agreement set the framework for the UK’s departure, including a transition period (termed by the UK government the ‘implementation...