Abstract of the Article
The turnover of structured products issued or distributed by major financial institutions negotiated on the national and international markets amounts to 82 billion Swiss francs, and there are currently around 12,000 structured products in Switzerland tradable at SIX Swiss Exchange. This exceptional diversity makes it difficult for investors to compare products, which can lead to inappropriate investments due to misinformation. Following the entry into force of the EU Prospectus Directive, MiFID II and PRIIPs regulations, and to harmonise the Swiss regulatory landscape with international standards, including OECD guidelines, Switzerland has revised its entire financial regulatory regulation.
The Upper Chamber of the Swiss Federal Assembly approved, as a plenum in its 2016 winter session, draft acts for the Financial Services Act (FinSA) and the Financial Institution Act (FinIA). FinSA contains rules of conduct that financial service providers must observe with respect to their clients, including in respect of structured products. FinIA standardises the authorisations for financial service providers, including securities and issuing houses. Three ordinances – the Financial Services Ordinance (FinSO), the Financial Institutional Ordinance (FinIO) and the Supervisory Organisations Ordinance (SOO) – of 6 November 2019 supplement these laws.
Dominique Lecocq
