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Publications

Our Research & Policy Aim

As a public interest organisation, BETTER FINANCE is committed to advancing the interests of individual investors and users of financial services throughout the European Union.

Our Goal

Our goal is to promote transparency, long-term value, and consumer protection in financial markets, ensuring that retail investors have a strong voice in policy discussions.

Our Approach

Working collaboratively with our member organisations, BETTER FINANCE undertakes rigorous analysis and research, engages in stakeholder consultations, and solicits expert contributions, resulting in well-informed, data-driven policy recommendations.

This approach ensures that EU financial regulations align with the interests of European citizens.

Explore Our Full Library of Publications

Individual Investors’ Key Priorities for 2024-2029 | Sustainable Savings & Investments Union: Reconciling Individuals, Enterprises & Planet

⬇️ Read or download BETTER FINANCE's Individual Investors’ Key Priorities for 2024-2029 below. ⬇️ Let’s harness the Savings and Investments Union’s (SIU) potential to benefit our citizens as financial consumers, ...
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/ Position Papers, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Financial Education, Financial Reporting & Audit, FinTech, Life Insurance & Pensions, Other, Packaged Investment Products, Product governance & disclosures, Securities Markets & Trading, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance, Supervision & Redress, Sustainabe Finance

BETTER FINANCE answer to SRDs’ Targeted Consultation – Shareholder Rights Directives (European Commission/CSES)

BETTER FINANCE's full Response to the Targeted Consultation on SRDs - Shareholder Rights Directives (SRD1 and SRD2) for the European Commission by the CSES — [15 December 2023]. BETTER FINANCE ...
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/ Consultations, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

Major EU bank Informs Investors of Missing Russian Shares

BETTER FINANCE expresses concern over Deutsche Bank's disclosure of missing Russian shares. The bank recently revealed a shortfall in the shares underlying depositary receipts (DRs), further increasing the challenges for ...
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/ Press Releases, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Securities Markets & Trading, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

The Proposed Retail Investment Strategy Shows Potential for Investor Protection Progress, but Fails to Meet its Own Key Targets

BETTER FINANCE, the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users, welcomed the European Commission’s launch of a Retail Investor Strategy in September 2020, as a once in a lifetime ...
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/ Press Releases, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Life Insurance & Pensions, Packaged Investment Products, Product governance & disclosures, Securities Markets & Trading, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance, Supervision & Redress

Withholding Tax on Cross-Border Dividends in the EU continues to be a nightmare for investors

Many investors commonly use the strategy of investing in dividend stocks. Yet, investors holding foreign shares often have to pay additional withholding tax on dividends in the respective country. A ...
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/ Press Releases, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Securities Markets & Trading, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

Withholding taxes on dividends in the European Union: An uphill battle for individual shareholders

A recent survey conducted by BETTER FINANCE and DSW among 3000 investors across the EU found that withholding tax (WHT) refund procedures are cumbersome and costly, making it difficult or ...
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/ Research papers, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Other, Securities Markets & Trading, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance, Supervision & Redress

Ferrovial Shareholders Backed by BETTER FINANCE and WFI in Approving Merger and Domicile Shift within the EU

On Thursday 13 April Ferrovial, the Spanish construction group, announced that its shareholders have approved a plan to relocate its holding company to the Netherlands through a reverse merger with ...
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/ Press Releases, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

BETTER FINANCE Answer to the EC open feedback on the review of the Listing Act

BETTER FINANCE response to the European Commission's request for feedback on the review of the Listing Act - making public capital markets more attractive for EU companies and facilitating access ...
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/ Consultations, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Product governance & disclosures, Securities Markets & Trading, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

BETTER FINANCE joins forces in collective redress for individual Airbus investors

BETTER FINANCE, The European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users, joins forces with Stichting Investor Loss Compensation (SILC), assisting Airbus shareholders recover losses resulting from Airbus’ involvement in bribery ...
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/ Press Releases, Other, Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance

Hampered by fragmented and costly intermediated processes, less than half of European individual shareholders were able to exercise their voting rights at AGMs in 2022

For a third year in a row, a study by BETTER FINANCE and DSW still points to considerable barriers to shareholder engagement as the Shareholder Rights Directive II fails to ...
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/ Press Releases, Capital Markets (equity & bonds), Capital Markets Union (CMU), Shareholder Rights & Corporate Governance