Regulatory roundabout: Four developments you need to know

We highlight notable European regulatory developments, from participation in the EU’s renewable energy financing mechanism to details of how European banks can operate in the UK post-Brexit.

	European Commission has opened a survey to encourage participation in the EU’s renewable energy financing mechanism. Open until 15 February, the seven-point questionnaire is intended to provide the Commission with feedback from potential users of the mechanism, in preparation for the first call for proposals under the mechanism.
	On 11 January, the European Commission published a report on the macroeconomic impact of competition policy, covering 40 cartel prohibitions and 165 merger interventions made between 2012-2019. It found the annual number of competition policy interventions (cartel prohibitions and merger interventions) remains relatively stable at around 26 decisions per year.
	The European Central Bank (ECB) received record feedback on its digital euro consultation, which ended this week (12 January). A total of 8,221 citizens, firms and industry associations submitted responses to an online questionnaire, and the bank will now analyse the responses.
	In a webinar hosted by the Bank of England (11 January), David Bailey, the executive director of the bank’s Prudential Regulation Authority, confirmed that EU bank branches in London should see no major change in how they are supervised following Britain’s formal departure from the EU last month. Bailey stated that there are 66 banks from the EU seeking permission to operate as a branch in Britain, leading to a significant increase in the proportion of UK banking assets that would be represented by branches.