On 28 September 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued a report regarding its contribution to simplification and burden reduction. The key message in the report is that ESMA is turning simplification and burden reduction into a core regulatory and supervisory objective.
The report provides a consolidated account of ESMA’s main recent and ongoing simplification and burden reduction initiatives and next steps. It aims to show how separate measures form part of a coherent, sustained contribution of ESMA to the EU simplification agenda, at the same time refraining from detailing the analysis contained in ESMA’s individual reports, consultations, publications and annual work programmes.
To maximise impact, ESMA has initially concentrated its efforts on four flagship projects: integrated transaction reporting, integrated funds reporting, a simpler investor journey and effective risk-based supervision. In parallel, ESMA has conducted a comprehensive mapping across its remit to identify duplication, obsolete or disproportionate requirements, implementation inefficiencies and opportunities for better data sharing.
Annex I to the report provides an overview of approach to simplification of key ESMA regulatory mandates in 2025-2027.