16/04/2019 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 16 April, MEPs confirmed the agreement reached between the European Parliament and the EU Council in February (see EUROPE 12187/15) on the proposals for a regulation (533 votes in favour, 57 against and 62 abstentions) and a directive (526 votes in favour, 98 against and 26 abstentions) to facilitate the cross-border distribution of harmonised investment funds in the EU (see EUROPE 11979/1). The new rules also simplify the procedure for withdrawing an investment fund from a national market and allow European asset managers to carry out pre-marketing activities to assess the interest of potential professional investors. A single online access point for information on national rules on marketing requirements and applicable fees will also be created to help managers wishing to increase their cross-border activities to save the cost of legal advice on national rules. (MF)