Carolina CAZZAROLLI

Carolina Cazzarolli is a manager in advocacy at the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), a prominent lobbying organization representing the interests of wholesale financial markets across Europe. AFME is headquartered in London and serves as a key voice advocating for integrated, competitive, and sustainable European capital markets. Carolina’s role involves engaging with EU policymakers and stakeholders to influence financial regulation and policies that impact the European financial sector. She has an academic background from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and is based in Brussels, where much of the EU lobbying activity takes place. Carolina joined AFME after working in public affairs and corporate affairs roles, including a position at Weber Shandwick Brussels as an associate, indicating her strong experience in EU-level advocacy and regulatory affairs

Carolina Cazzarolli’s lobbying efforts at AFME are focused on promoting the interests of the UK and broader European financial markets within the EU regulatory framework. AFME’s mission is to advocate for deep and integrated capital markets that support economic growth and benefit society. Given the UK’s status as a global financial hub, especially London’s role as a leading financial center, AFME’s lobbying under Carolina’s advocacy aims to ensure that EU regulations do not disadvantage UK-based financial institutions post-Brexit.

Her lobbying encompasses several key objectives aligned with UK financial sector interests:

Market Access and Regulatory Equivalence: Ensuring that UK financial firms retain access to the EU market through regulatory equivalence decisions, which are crucial for cross-border trading, clearing, and investment services.
Avoiding Fragmentation: Lobbying against harmful regulatory fragmentation that could create barriers for UK firms operating in the EU or for EU firms doing business with the UK.
Sustainable Finance: Promoting sustainable finance initiatives that align with UK green finance ambitions while ensuring they are workable and do not impose undue burdens on UK financial institutions.
Capital Markets Union (CMU): Supporting the development of the EU Capital Markets Union to facilitate investment flows between the UK and EU, which benefits UK asset managers and investors.
Remuneration and Risk Regulation: Engaging on technical regulatory issues such as remuneration rules and risk management frameworks that affect UK banks and investment firms operating in Europe.

While the lobbying is presented as supporting integrated European markets, the underlying intention includes safeguarding the UK’s competitive position in the global financial ecosystem, preventing regulatory divergence that could isolate UK firms, and influencing EU policymaking to reflect UK priorities despite Brexit. This dual role is typical of AFME’s advocacy, which balances European integration rhetoric with the practical interests of UK financial institutions

Carolina Cazzarolli’s lobbying activities involve extensive engagement with EU institutions, regulators, and policymakers to advance AFME’s agenda. Evidence from public meeting registers shows AFME representatives, including advocacy managers like Carolina, participate in numerous meetings with key EU bodies such as the European Banking Authority (EBA), European Commission, and the European Parliament.

Examples of lobbying activities include:

Meetings with Regulators: AFME officials have met with EBA staff to discuss regulatory frameworks for investment firms, remuneration rules, and proportionality in regulation, all critical for UK and European financial firms’ operations. These meetings help shape Level 2 regulations under EU directives, influencing how UK firms comply with EU rules post-Brexit3.
Engagement on Capital Markets Union: AFME advocates for policies that promote cross-border capital flows, which directly benefit UK asset managers and financial service providers by maintaining market access and reducing barriers.
Sustainability and Green Finance: Carolina and AFME lobby on sustainability-related legislation aligned with the EU Green Deal, ensuring that regulations on sustainable finance are practical and do not disadvantage UK firms that are leaders in green finance innovation.
Influencing EU Legislation: Through formal and informal contacts, AFME under Carolina’s advocacy works to influence EU financial legislation, including the Investment Firms Directive (IFD), Investment Firms Regulation (IFR), and other key financial regulatory dossiers impacting UK firms.

While specific meetings with individual politicians are not publicly detailed, the pattern of engagement with EU regulatory bodies and the timing of regulatory developments suggest that AFME’s lobbying has contributed to shaping outcomes favorable to UK financial interests. For instance, the ongoing dialogue on proportionality and remuneration rules reflects AFME’s influence in ensuring that regulatory burdens remain manageable for UK-based firms operating in the EU

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +32 479 [full number not publicly disclosed]
LinkedIn: Carolina Cazzarolli (LinkedIn profile available)
Organization Website: www.afme.eu
Office: Brussels (AFME’s EU office)

This contact information is consistent with her role as Advocacy Manager at AFME, based in Brussels, facilitating direct communication with EU policymakers and stakeholders.

This profile synthesizes publicly available information on Carolina Cazzarolli’s role and activities as a lobbyist for AFME, highlighting her focus on representing UK financial market interests within the EU regulatory environment