The FIA European Principal Traders Association (FIA EPTA) appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback to the European Commission Public consultation on a retail investment strategy for Europe. FIA EPTA members believe that the current retail investor protection framework is an important tool to ensure retail participation in capital markets. However, an update is necessary. Over the past years, retail participation on lit markets has gone down, and the ways in which retail investors participate in the markets has changed. New technologies and platforms have emerged and are rapidly changing how retail investors interact with the market. The Platforms are a great way to promote retail participation, however, they also create new challenges concerning investor protection. FIA EPTA members believe that the principles of transparency and the promotion of fair competition should always be at the core of any retail strategy.
