On 7 July 2022, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued a public statement on prospectus supervision in the context of EU sanctions connected to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The statement alerts stakeholders to the European Commission’s FAQs, which cover the scope and implementation of EU sanctions and concerns whether there is sufficient legal basis to refuse the approval of a prospectus if there are prohibited relationships under EU sanctions or if infringements of EU sanctions are suspected during the prospectus scrutiny and approval process undertaken by Member State competent authorities. Due to its significance, the ESMA has issued the public statement to raise awareness among stakeholders about its contents and its impact on prospectus supervision.