Consultations & Engagement

The UK Government have published their Industrial Strategy for the next 10 years. Their Financial Services Growth & Competitiveness Strategy is expected to follow in mid-July 2025.

Click here for details about the work by regulators and governments on ensuring good governance by ESG ratings and data products providers.

HM Treasury and the FCA are consulting on changes to the AIFM regime in the UK. Find out more about this here and review AREF's responses.

The UK Government has published its final report on the first phase of the Pensions Investment Review and responses to two other related consultations. The Pension Schemes Bill was presented to Parliament on 5 June 2025.

The Law Commission are reviewing Part 2 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 with a view to modernise commercial leasehold legislation. Click her for more details.

The Financial Reporting Council have published the UK Stewardship Code 2026 and are consulting on guidance.

The European Commission have put out a Call for evidence on SFDR. More details can be found here.

The Government have responded to their consultation on the treatment of DB scheme surpluses and a model for a public sector consolidator. Click here for more details.

The UK Government have published a policy paper on speeding up build out and alongside this they are consulting on measures to improve build out transparency and accountability.

IOSCO has published its final report on Revised Recommendations for Liquidity Risk Management for Collective Investment Schemes alongside its Implementation Guidance

The FCA have updated on their website details of responsibilities and how to oversee appointed representatives

Find out more here about the FCA's Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR) and investment labels regime.

Read more about the policy work being undertaken by governments, regulators & standard setting bodies in relation to sustainable finance and climate-related disclosures.

The FCA is planning to implement a new product information regime for Consumer Composite Investments. In April 2025, they published a second consultation on some remaining issues to support the regime.

ESMA has published its final reports on draft regulatory technical standards and guidelines for liquidity management tools under the revised AIFMD and UCITS Directive.

As part of its Savings and Investment Union strategy, the European Commission is gathering feedback from stakeholders on obstacles to financial integration across the EU.

View a summary on the policy work being undertaken by regulators and governments on funds' liquidity management.

The FCA have published their response to their a discussion paper on firms' sustainability-related governance, incentives, and competencies. They have introduced some rules relating to themes in the paper and have no plans to introduce any more. More details can be found here.

RICS published a survey in February/March 2025 to understand how the UK VPS 3 valuation standards, within their 2023 edition of the UK National Supplement to the Global Red Book, are impacting stakeholders and to provide insight into the future direction of RICS. AREF's response to the survey and UK National Supplement can be found here.

The Government are implementing a Building Safety Levy. Click here for more details.

In February 2025, legislation for an unauthorised co-ownership contractual scheme, the Reserved Investor Fund (RIF), and tax regulations for the RIF were laid in Parliament and will come in force in mid-March 2025; more details can be found by clicking here.

In March 2025, the FCA and PRA confirmed that they are not taking their work on diversity and inclusion in the financial sector any further. More details about this can be found here.

Click here to learn more about regulation and guidance in relation to the Long-Term Asset Fund (LTAF) and read about AREF's event looking at the future of the LTAF. The model LTAF Instrument of Incorporation and model LTAF Co-Ownership Deed for ACS can be found here too.

AREF has submitted a response to HM Treasury consultation on a UK Green Taxonomy. More details can be found here.

TNFD has published the sector guidance - Engineering, construction and real estate.  More details can be found here.

The reporting principles in the paper on ESG Metrics for Real Estate have been updated in January 2025.

Find out more here about the Government's work to enable DC pension schemes to invest in illiquid assets. Also, there are links to guidance from TPR and cases studies from PLSA which supports this and AREF's own lobbying to the Government on this matter.

Find out more here about the work by the UK Government, FCA and TPR on a Value for Money Framework for DC pension schemes.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government are consulting on reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system. More details can be found here.

The Central Bank of Ireland have published feedback to its discussion paper on the approach to macroprudential policy for investment funds. More details can be found here.

Find out more about ELTIF 2.0 here

The FCA have published their policy statement for the Overseas Funds Regime; this includes the final rules and feedback to their earlier consultation. This follows on from the roadmap on implementing the Overseas Funds Regime published by HM Treasury and the FCA . More details can be found here.

RICS are consulting on updating the RICS Red Book Global Standards. More details can be found here.

The Transition Plan Taskforce have produced guidance for preparers and users of climate transition plans, including Asset Managers and Asset Owners. More details can be found here.

In early June 2024 the PRA published its policy statement on its reforms to the Matching Adjustment. More details can be found by clicking here.

Members of the European Real Estate Forum, including AREF, have set out in a paper their recommendations for the next EU mandate in relation to real estate.

The FCA have published guidance on their anti-greenwashing rule. More details can be found here.

In March 2024 the European Commission published the delegated act: Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) on the notifications for cross-border marketing and management of AIFs and UCITS within the EU.

AREF has responded to the consultation from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on the Disclosure of climate-related financial risks

Find out here more about the legislative changes the Government are making from 6 April 2024 to reform the Construction Industry Scheme.

The UK Government have consulted on improving transparency of land ownership when trusts are involved in the ownership structure. AREF responded to this consultation. More details can be found here.