European Leveraged Finance Association Ltd

The European Leveraged Finance Association Ltd (ELFA) is a specialized buyside-only trade association composed of European credit investors, including over 60 institutional fixed income managers, investment advisers, insurance companies, and pension funds. Founded in January 2019, ELFA was created by a group of high yield bond investors with the goal of fostering a more transparent, efficient, and resilient leveraged finance market in Europe.

ELFA’s mission centers on representing the interests of leveraged credit investors, promoting transparency, delivering industry best practices, and advancing governance standards in the European leveraged finance market. It provides a platform where members can exchange insights, collaborate on market issues, and engage with key stakeholders including regulators, borrowers, banks, law firms, and other trade associations.

The association comprises multiple committees that cover the high yield bond, leveraged loan, private debt, and collateralized loan obligation (CLO) asset classes. These committees work on diverse topics such as environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, diversity and inclusion, engagement policies, and artificial intelligence impact on investing. ELFA’s initiatives include ESG disclosure workshops for borrowers and surveys gauging member views on relevant market trends and regulatory issues.

ELFA actively engages with other industry bodies such as the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), the Loan Market Association (LMA), and others to build consensus and align market standards. Besides advocacy, the association provides educational resources, training sessions, newsletters, reports, and legal updates to its members, helping them meet fiduciary duties and better serve their clients.

Through ongoing dialogue with policymakers and market participants, ELFA aims to influence regulatory frameworks constructively while safeguarding investor interests. Its focus on professional and personal development for members, coupled with a commitment to greater diversity and ESG transparency, positions ELFA as a leading voice in the European leveraged finance landscape.

Founded: January 2019
Type: Buyside trade association for European leveraged finance investors
Membership: 60+ institutional fixed income managers and investment firms
Mission: Promote transparency, efficiency, governance, and resilience in European leveraged finance markets
Key Committees: High Yield, Leveraged Loans, Private Debt, CLO, ESG, Diversity & Inclusion, Engagement, AI
Website: elfainvestors.com

No related lobbyists found.

Financial Services
Investment and Asset Management
Market Transparency and Governance
ESG and Sustainable Finance
Private Debt and Credit Markets
Regulatory and Policy Advocacy

ELFA networks and collaborates with a range of affiliated and partner organizations within the financial industry and lobbying space, including:

Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME)
Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA)
Alternative Credit Council (ACC)
International Capital Markets Association (ICMA)
Loan Market Association (LMA)
Loan Syndication and Trading Association (LSTA)
Standards Board for Alternative Investments (SBAI)
The Credit Roundtable (CRT)

These affiliations help ELFA strengthen market standards and present a united investor voice on regulatory matters across European leveraged finance markets.

ELFA reports lobby expenditure annually to the EU Transparency Register. Since its establishment in 2019, it has declared total spending on lobbying activities that typically falls within the €100,000 – €199,999 range each reporting year.

2019: €100,000 – €199,999
2020: €100,000 – €199,999
2021: €100,000 – €199,999
2022: €100,000 – €199,999
2023: €100,000 – €199,999

(The amounts are reported in bands, as per EU Transparency Register norms.)

ELFA interacts primarily with the following EU institutions as part of its lobbying and engagement efforts:

European Commission (various Directorates-General related to financial regulation)
European Parliament (Committees on Economic and Monetary Affairs, and other relevant committees)
Council of the European Union (working groups on financial services and market regulation)

Since registration with the EU Transparency Register, ELFA has held numerous meetings with EU policymakers and officials. These include discussions with Commissioners, MEPs, and EU Commission staff focused on matters such as:

ESG disclosure and regulatory frameworks for leveraged finance assets
Market transparency and governance standards
Impact of evolving financial regulations on credit markets
Promotion of diversity and inclusion in finance
Responses to COVID-19 market impacts and recovery

The association regularly reports these meetings in the EU Transparency Register meeting logs up to June 2025, signaling high engagement intensity aligned with its advocacy goals.