Regulatory authorities urge the establishment of a more adaptable regulatory landscape
In the pursuit of economic growth and global competitiveness, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) plays a pivotal role in regulating and overseeing the UK’s financial services sector. The FCA's mission is to ensure that markets work well, safeguard consumers, and promote market integrity[1].
The FCA's key responsibilities in supporting the growth and international competitiveness of the UK's financial services sector include:
- Regulatory Oversight and Market Functioning: The FCA supervises over 51,000 firms, ensuring adherence to rules that protect consumers and maintain market stability. This builds global confidence in the UK market[1][3].
- Streamlining and Reforming Regulation to Support Growth: Recent reforms aim to reduce regulatory burdens, making the UK more attractive for new entrants, asset managers, and financial innovators[2].
- International Cooperation: The FCA collaborates with global regulators to align standards, share information, and monitor risks that cross borders, ensuring the UK remains competitive while safeguarding the financial system on an international scale[3].
- Supporting Sustainable and Transition Finance: The FCA encourages markets to channel capital towards sustainable growth initiatives, contributing to economic growth in line with the UK’s climate ambitions[5].
The FCA's approach to financial regulation is designed to underpin the UK’s mission for robust, dynamic, and internationally respected financial services. It balances consumer protection, market integrity, and innovation-friendly reforms, engaging globally to maintain aligned standards and supporting sustainable finance aligned with broader economic objectives[1][2][3][5].
However, challenges remain. UK financial services productivity has stagnated relative to peers, partly due to post-crisis regulatory challenges[1]. The financial network remains dense and complex, particularly as activity shifts from traditional banking to sectors like insurance and fintech, reinforcing the need for a regulatory approach that understands the potential of non-bank financial entities to transmit or amplify shocks[1].
The FCA's new secondary objective is a call to action, aiming to embed growth considerations into the regulatory DNA and reshape financial services as a catalyst of long-term, inclusive, and internationally competitive growth[1]. High-growth firms are increasingly favoring more flexible overseas markets over the UK[1].
Fintech institutions, for instance, may offer consumers, especially low-income households, better access to credit, but they also carry specific tail risks that current regulation has not fully stress tested[1]. The UK trails behind the US and EU in initial public offering activity[1].
Research presented in the FCA economic research competition suggests that regulation can be seen as a platform for innovation and competitiveness in the financial sector[1]. However, since Brexit, export competitiveness has declined, while outward foreign direct investment surged into EU centres like Germany and the Netherlands[1].
In conclusion, the FCA's role is crucial in facilitating the growth and international competitiveness of the UK’s financial services sector. Its evolving regulatory approach is designed to balance consumer protection, market integrity, and innovation-friendly reforms, while engaging globally to maintain aligned standards and supporting sustainable finance aligned with broader economic objectives.
