EUROPE – ABP, Europe’s largest pension fund, is to have a member on a new securities industry group set up by the European Commission.

Henny Kapteijn, head of finance control and risk management at the €190bn Dutch civil service fund, is among 20 members of the new European Securities Markets Expert Group (ESME).

ESME will look at how European Union securities directives work and propose changes where necessary, the Commission said.

The move boosts ABP’s presence in Brussels. In January this year it was named as an observer at a new expert sub-group on hedge funds set up by the Commission. And chief investment officer Roderick Munsters has met with the Commission to discuss clearing and settlement.

ABP’s pensions director Jaap Maassen chairs the European Federation for Retirement Provision while the fund also supports the European Parliamentary Pensions Forum.

ESME’s creation is a follow-up to the Commission’s White Paper on Financial Services 2005-2010. It will meet up to four times a year and it is likely that one or more sub-groups within the group will be set up to examine specific issues.

"The response to our call for applications for this group has been tremendous,” said internal markets Commissioner Charlie McCreevy.

“We have received over 120 applications from across the EU – a strong signal of interest in the importance of EU securities legislation and other issues, such as credit rating agencies and the role of financial analysts within a securities markets context.

“As a result of the very high level of interest, we have been able to appoint top-class market experts with the right depth and breadth of practical experience, and with an appropriate geographical spread.”

ESME members:

- Sebastián Albella Amigo, Linklaters
- Chris Bates, Clifford Chance
- Mats Beckman, OMX- The Nordic Exchange
- Margaret Chamberlain, Travers Smith
- Carmine DiNoia, Assonime
- Philippa Dodd, Royal Dutch Shell
- Gianluca Garbi, MTS
- Wolfgang Gerhardt, Bank Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie.
- John Holland, UBS Investment Bank
- Karl-Peter Horstmann, RWE Trading
- Henny Kapteijn, ABP
- David Meagher, AIB Group
- Roger Müller, Deutsche Börse
- Bertrand Patillet, Crédit Agricole Cheuvreux
- Els Ponnet, Fortis Bank
- Andrew Procter, Deutsche Bank
- Xavier Rolet, Lehman Brothers International Europe
- María Gracia Rubio de Casas, Baker & McKenzie
- Florence Sirel, BNP Paribas
- Tomasz Stachurski, ING Bank Slaski

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