The EU’s AIFM Directive: Likely impact and best way forward

Based on two surveys of private equity managers and hedge fund managers, carried out during August 2009, Open Europe published a study of the likely impact of the EU's proposed Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) Directive.

Based on its surveys, Open Europe estimated that the hedge fund and private equity sectors contributed around €9 billion (£7.9 billion) in tax revenues to the EU economy in 2008.

It estimated that the Directive will in total cost the private equity and hedge fund sectors in the EU between €1.3 billion and €1.9 billion (£1.2 billion and £1.6 billion) in the first year in compliance cost alone. At the same time, the ability of European investors to choose freely from amongst the best funds and managers could be cut by up to 80 percent.

Open Europe: Investment Trusts and the AIFM Directive, January 2010 http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/aifmd-trusts.pdf

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