What is the Open Finance Framework and how it will help Compliance?

Grand “Answer”:

The Open Finance Framework in the EU is an initiative designed to facilitate data sharing and third-party access across various financial sectors and products, while adhering to data protection and consumer protection rules [1]. The framework operates on the principle that customers own and control their data, whether it's the information they provide or the data generated on their behalf [1]. By enabling secure and controlled access to customer data, the Open Finance Framework can help compliance by ensuring that financial institutions adhere to relevant regulations and maintain transparency in their operations [1]. This, in turn, promotes a more competitive and innovative financial market, benefiting consumers and businesses alike [1]. Overall, the Open Finance Framework seeks to empower consumers, enhance competition, and improve compliance within the financial sector in the EU [1][2].

Source

[1]

European Commission - Have your say

European Commission - Have your say

European Commission - Have your say

[2]

EBF views on Open Finance: towards a fit-for-market approach

As the European Commission moves forward with its Data Strategy and further sectoral data-sharing initiatives, including Open Finance, there is a need to consider very carefully the approach to be taken so as to boost innovation while ensuring a level playing field and avoiding a fragmented implemen…

EBFVittoria Barbieri

Open Finance Framework: Enhancing Compliance in the Digital Finance Strategy

In an effort to evolve and modernize the financial sector, the European Commission has announced a strategic shift towards data-driven finance as a part of their Digital Finance Strategy. This transformative move is aimed at facilitating a more efficient and technologically advanced financial market, and involves the implementation of an open finance framework. The concept of open finance essentially refers to a system in which third party service providers can gain access to both business and consumer data across a broad spectrum of financial services, provided that they have the customer's consent.

The adoption of this open finance framework is considered to be the EU's next strategic move in expanding access to data within the financial sector. This follows the introduction of the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), a policy that is currently under review. The breadth of the open finance initiative is extensive, covering all relevant financial services and contributing significantly to the Commission's ambitious cross-sectoral Data Strategy for Europe. This strategy aims to create common European data spaces across various sectors of the economy and establish cross-sector rules on data use.

As a critical development in 2021, the Commission adopted legislative proposals for the European single access point (ESAP) on 25 November. This was designed for public disclosures and introduced as part of the Capital Markets Union package. Shortly after, on 15 December 2021, the Commission endorsed the Strategy on supervisory data in EU financial services. Considering the profound implications that open finance can have for consumers, the strategy is also deemed relevant in the forthcoming EU strategy for retail investors.

Navigating Legal Frameworks: Addressing Compliance Challenges in Open Finance Policy Options

The Open Finance Initiative seeks to address a range of challenges that currently plague the financial sector, particularly the difficulties associated with accessing and reusing customer data. These issues, caused by legal, contractual, or technical obstacles, pose significant barriers for both businesses and retail consumers. Existing provisions for customer data access rights, such as PSD2 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), offer limited solutions and do not guarantee access outside the payment sector.

Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU provides the legal basis for EU intervention. Given that the challenges are common across all EU Member States, unilateral actions by individual Member States are inadequate for addressing these issues. EU-level legislation offers the potential for a harmonised regulatory framework on financial data governance, promoting scalable, efficient business solutions that take full advantage of the EU single market.

The future open finance framework aims to target several key areas. These include facilitating data access and reuse, enhancing consumer confidence and data autonomy, mitigating risks associated with data reuse, creating a fair commercial model, and ensuring a level playing field among competitors. In addition to these, the Commission is considering several other policy options. These could range from promoting market-driven standardization to overcome technical obstacles, introducing new data access rights in limited areas such as savings and securities accounts, or establishing comprehensive data access rights across the entire financial sector. Each of these options presents a unique approach to advancing the EU's data-driven financial objectives.

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