A Review of BVI’s Conference ‘Power, Policy and Autonomy – Rethinking Europe’s Financial Architecture’ in Brussels

More than 400 high-level representatives from supervisory authorities, politics, the financial industry and EU institutions attended BVI’s conference ‘Power, Policy and Autonomy – Rethinking Europe’s Financial Architecture’ on 18 March 2026 in Brussels. Held under the Chatham House Rule, the event focused on how the European Union can strengthen its financial autonomy and what role regulation, supervision and market integration should play in achieving this.

Topics and speakers:

Keynote (importance of regulatory convergence; lean, effective supervisory structures; need to simplify the EU regulatory framework without weakening stability standards)
Thorsten Pötzsch, Chief Executive Director of Securities Supervision and Asset Management at the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin)

Europe’s financial puzzle – is centralised supervision the way to boost the SIU?
John Berrigan, Director-General, DG FISMA, European Commission
Verena Ross, Chair, ESMA
Jean-Paul Servais, Chairman, Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA)
Matthias Liermann, Speaker of the Management, DWS International 
Adam Farkas, CEO, AFME
Moderation: Magdalena Kuper, BVI

Regulatory reset – can deregulation drive growth without compromising stability?
Markus Ferber, Member of the European Parliament (EPP/Germany)
Paloma Marín Bona, Vice-Chair, Spanish Securities Markets Authority (CNMV)
Michael McGrath, Assistant Secretary General, Department of Finance Ireland
Jean-Jacques Barbéris, Deputy CEO, Amundi
Stephanie Eckermann, Member of the Executive Board, Deutsche Börse