EU securities regulator ESMA started the first phase of European Single Access Point data collection on Friday, one year before the platform must open to the public.
Officially Appointed Mechanisms (OAMs) and National Competent Authorities (NCAs), acting as collection bodies, have begun sending information and associated metadata to ESAP, ESMA said.
The first phase covers disclosures under the Transparency Directive and Prospectus Regulation. Information filed under the Short-selling Regulation is also included.
Collection bodies handle submissions
An entity makes a required disclosure public and submits it to its designated collection body, which then sends the information and metadata to ESAP through an API.
ESAP centralises disclosures already required under EU law rather than creating a general new disclosure obligation. Reporting entities do not usually file directly with the central platform.
Collection bodies conduct automated checks covering accepted data formats and metadata completeness. They also validate Legal Entity Identifiers where required, but do not assess whether the disclosure’s content is accurate or adequate.
Responsibility for the information and metadata remains with the reporting entity, according to the Joint Committee’s technical standards.
ESAP is due to provide free access to EU financial and sustainability information by July 2027. Further categories will enter the system in January 2028 and January 2030.
