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The Joint Position of the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) highlights in particular that the design of financial products and services poses risks to consumers when the target market is not correctly identified. These risks can also arise when the objectives and characteristics of the target market are not duly taken into account in the marketing of products to consumers. These issues have previously arisen at EU level across the three sectors of banking, insurance and securities.
The eight high level principles developed by the three ESAs in their Joint Position stress the importance of the controls that manufacturers should put in place before launching their products, thus discouraging products and services that may cause consumer detriment from entering the market and thus ultimately enhancing consumers' confidence in financial markets.
The Joint Position is not directly addressed to market participants and competent authorities but it will provide a high-level, consistent basis for the development of more detailed principles addressed to manufactures by each ESA in the respective sectors. The Joint position is therefore without prejudice to any work that is being developed by each ESA, including in the context of the review of sectoral Directives.