European Securities and Markets Authority

ESMA is the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor. The 2023-2028 strategy guides ESMA in its second decade. It builds on the successful development of ESMA since its establishment and reflects the evolving environment in which it operates.

Regulatory Technical Standard

Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) are a set of rules and guidelines established by the European Banking Authority (EBA) to ensure that banks and other financial institutions comply with the rules set out in the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2).

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

The amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (widely known as WEEE or e-waste) generated every year in the EU is increasing rapidly. It is now one of the fastest growing waste streams. It includes a large range of devices such as mobile phones, computers, televisions, fridges, household appliances, lamps but also medical devices and photovoltaic panels. E-waste contains a complex mixture of materials, some of which are hazardous. These can cause major environmental and health problems if the discarded devices are not managed properly. Modern electronics also contain rare and expensive resources, including critical raw materials. These can be recycled and re-used if the waste is effectively managed. Improving the collection, treatment and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment at the end of their life can increase resource efficiency and support the shift to a circular economy. It can also contribute to the security of supply for critical raw materials, ultimately enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Greenhouse gases constitute a group of gases contributing to global warming and climate change. The Kyoto Protocol, an environmental agreement adopted by many of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1997 to curb global warming, nowadays covers seven greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃). Converting them to carbon dioxide (or CO₂) equivalents makes it possible to compare them and to determine their individual and total contributions to global warming.

Distributed Ledger Technology Node

A device or process that is part of a network and that holds a complete or partial replica of records of all transactions on a distributed ledger.