The Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 1 July 2011 and must be transposed into national law by 22 July 2013.
The scope of the AIFMD is broad and, with a few exceptions, covers the management, administration and marketing of alternative investment funds (AIFs). Its focus is on regulating the Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) rather than the AIF.
An AIF is a ‘collective investment undertaking’ that is not subject to the UCITS regime, and includes hedge funds, private equity funds, retail investment funds, investment companies and real estate funds, among others. The AIFMD establishes an EU-wide harmonised framework for monitoring and supervising risks posed by AIFMs and the AIFs they manage, and for strengthening the internal market in alternative funds. The Directive also includes new requirements for firms acting as a depositary for an AIF.
For more information, please visit the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) website.
