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ESMA TRV Report on Real Estate Investment Funds Investment Services & Funds

ESMA TRV Report on Real Estate Investment Funds

The current exposure in the EU investment fund sector to the risks in real estate markets has been the subject of a recent publication, dated 10th January 2024, which was issued by the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) as part of its ongoing Trends, Risks and Vulnerabilities (“TRV”) risk analysis. The publication, entitled ‘ESMA TRV Report in real estate markets – Risk exposures in EU securities markets and investment funds’ (“TRV report”), provides data which shows that securities linked to real estate are increasingly utilised as collateral. Moreover, ESMA outlines in page three of the TRV report that there…
Mario Mizzi
10th January 2024
Benefits of a Maltese Notified Professional Investor Fund Investment Services & Funds

Benefits of a Maltese Notified Professional Investor Fund

In a circular dated the 18th December 2023, the MFSA introduced a framework for an additional fund structure within the jurisdiction of Malta, namely, the Notified Professional Investor Fund (“NPIF”). The NPIF framework is designed to reap the benefits of an enhanced and expedited onboarding process, while concurrently complementing extant fund frameworks in Malta. The initiation of this framework by the MFSA is the outcome of a rigorous and thorough dual-phase process of soliciting public input and consultation earlier in 2023. The rules of the NPIF framework which were launched in December 2023 can be accessed here and the ongoing…
Mamo TCV Advocates
21st December 2023
AI & Funds #6 –
Conflicts of Interest
Investment Services & Funds

AI & Funds #6 –
Conflicts of Interest

The purpose of disclosing conflicts of interest in the investment services industry is to ensure maximum transparency for the investor. A common conflict of interest is the situation when the fund’s investment manager owns voting shares in the fund and appoints a director who is already heavily involved in the investment manager’s structure. Consequently, the appointed director might be conflicted if one is required to take a decision against the investment manager. To mitigate this conflict of interest, the fund would apply its existent policy on conflicts of interest which would stipulate that the conflict be disclosed during board meetings…
Mario Mizzi
15th June 2023
AI systems are ultimately complex computer codes whose output reflects their input. If the inputted data contains human bias, the AI system tends to produce results which exacerbates existing biases. In this insight briefing, we analyse the effect that human bias in AI could have on EU investment funds.
AI & Funds #5 – Human Bias Investment Services & Funds

AI & Funds #5 – Human Bias

In an underground burial temple located within the EU’s southernmost State, one can find a primitive drawing of a spiralling never-ending red tree. Archaeologists opine that the millennia-old Saflieni Hypogeum’s ‘Tree of Life’ was painted to give meaning to death. There is no evidence that the Maltese prehistoric biosphere sustained red spiralling trees. If archaeologists did not inform us about this pictorial human bias, one might have assumed that never-ending trees did exist in Malta. Humans understand that trees are not never-ending and the red artefact is merely an imaginary depiction. On the other hand, Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) knows that…
Mario Mizzi
9th March 2023
The legal obligation to disclose information is a frequent occurrence in investment services laws. The draft framework for regulating artificial intelligence in the EU also puts vigorous emphasis on transparency. In this insight briefing, we compare the transparency obligations under the AIFMD with Article 52 of the draft EU AI Act to analyse the former’s adroitness for AI utilisation.
AI & Funds #4 – Transparency Obligations Investment Services & Funds

AI & Funds #4 – Transparency Obligations

In the ‘Proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence’ (the “draft EU AI Act”), transparency is regulated by Article 13 and Article 52 thereof. The former applies to systems of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) which are classified as high-risk and the latter applies to limited-risk AI systems. As explained in the previous briefing of this series of insights on AI and investment funds, the use of AI in investment services will generally fall under limited-risk AI systems. The reason being that high-risk AI systems as defined under the draft EU AI Act do not include AI systems…
Mario Mizzi
2nd March 2023
The proposed EU AI Act will provide for four risk classifications of artificial intelligence. Each classification will trigger different rules. In this insight briefing we analyse the use of AI in investment funds to determine which one of the four AI classifications would be applicable.
AI & Funds #3 – Risk Classifications Investment Services & Funds

AI & Funds #3 – Risk Classifications

If the draft EU regulation on Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) titled ‘Proposal for a Regulation laying down harmonised rules on artificial intelligence’ (the “draft EU AI Act”) becomes law, investment funds could have an additional risk which would need consideration, namely, the AI risk. As outlined in previous briefings in this insight-series, the definition of AI as provided in Article 3 of the draft EU AI Act will be an umbrella term which includes machine-learning and algorithms which are already being used in the asset management industry according to a report1 by the European Securities and Markets Authority. The draft EU…
Mario Mizzi
23rd February 2023