Background
In conjunction with the work that it is carrying out on closet
index-tracking funds, the European Securities and Markets Authority
("ESMA") has published a
revised Q&A on UCITS (the "ESMA UCITS
Q&A") setting out how it expects UCITS management
companies1 to comply with the disclosure obligations
relating to benchmarks and past performance set down in Commission
Regulation (EU) No 538/2010 (the "KIID
Regulation").
Closet index-tracking funds – where the fund manager
claims, in the prospectus, key investor information documents
("KIIDs") and/or marketing documentation
of a UCITS, to manage the portfolio actively when in reality the
fund stays close to a benchmark and is therefore more akin to a
"passive" fund – has been a key focus for ESMA in
recent years.