Mr Sahir AKBAR

Mr. Sahir Akbar is a senior lobbyist serving as Managing Director and Deputy Head of Prudential Regulation at the Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), a prominent lobbying organization representing a broad spectrum of European and global wholesale financial market participants. AFME’s membership includes major pan-European and global banks, regional banks, brokers, law firms, investors, and other financial market stakeholders. The organization advocates for stable, competitive, and sustainable European financial markets that underpin economic growth and societal benefit. Mr. Akbar’s expertise centers on prudential regulation, recovery and resolution frameworks, and capital markets policy, positioning him as a key figure in shaping EU financial regulatory policies that impact banks and financial institutions across Europe. His role involves engaging with EU policymakers and regulators to influence legislation and supervisory practices affecting the financial sector, with a particular focus on capital adequacy, liquidity, and market functioning

Mr. Sahir Akbar, through AFME, actively lobbies to promote the interests of the UK financial sector within the broader European regulatory framework, despite the UK’s exit from the EU. His lobbying efforts aim to ensure that UK-based financial institutions remain competitive and integrated with European markets, advocating for regulatory equivalence and minimizing barriers to cross-border capital and liquidity flows. AFME under his stewardship pushes for regulatory clarity and flexibility, especially concerning prudential rules like the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR), resolution regimes, and supervisory practices by the European Central Bank (ECB).

A key element of his lobbying is to influence EU regulations so that they do not impose undue restrictions on UK banks’ ability to operate in European markets, particularly regarding third-country equivalence assessments. He advocates for the recognition of UK regulatory standards as equivalent to those of the EU to facilitate seamless market access and capital mobility. This includes pushing for grandfathering provisions for liabilities issued before new regulatory requirements take effect, thereby protecting existing UK financial instruments from abrupt regulatory changes.

Moreover, Mr. Akbar’s lobbying addresses the need to maintain market-friendly rules on debt instruments, such as preserving standard acceleration rights, which are critical for UK banks’ funding strategies. His work also focuses on ensuring that liquidity and capital management practices are not hindered by overly restrictive large exposure limits or ring-fencing measures that could fragment the market and disadvantage UK financial institutions.

His approach reveals a dual intention: publicly advocating for a stable and integrated European financial market, while strategically safeguarding UK banks’ interests post-Brexit by influencing EU policies to accommodate UK regulatory frameworks and market practices. This ensures the UK’s continued relevance and competitiveness in European wholesale financial markets, reflecting both transparent and nuanced lobbying objectives

Mr. Sahir Akbar’s lobbying activities are extensive and highly engaged with EU institutions, particularly the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the European Banking Authority. He participates in numerous consultations, policy discussions, and technical working groups focused on prudential regulation, recovery and resolution frameworks, and capital market reforms.

He has contributed to key policy papers and position statements, such as AFME’s responses to revisions of the ECB’s policies on Options and Discretions (O&Ds) in Union law, advocating for lower thresholds on liquidity requirements to facilitate efficient capital and liquidity management within banking groups. His interventions emphasize the importance of free movement of capital and payments within the EU, directly challenging proposals that would impose liquidity ring-fencing or restrict intragroup exposures, which could adversely affect UK banks operating in the EU.

Mr. Akbar has also been involved in discussions around the eligibility criteria for external MREL (Minimum Requirement for own funds and Eligible Liabilities), pushing for market-friendly rules that support UK banks’ issuance of loss-absorbing debt instruments. His advocacy includes calls for regulatory equivalence assessments for third-country jurisdictions, ensuring that UK law and contractual provisions governing financial instruments are recognized by EU authorities without undue delays or burdens.

He regularly meets with EU policymakers, including members of the European Parliament, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Financial Stability, and ECB supervisory officials, to present AFME’s positions and influence regulatory outcomes. These meetings have correlated with policy adjustments that reflect AFME’s recommendations, such as technical amendments to capital definitions and transitional provisions that ease compliance burdens on banks.

Through these activities, Mr. Akbar has played a significant role in shaping the EU’s financial regulatory landscape to be more accommodating to UK financial institutions, supporting their ability to maintain cross-border operations and capital market access post-Brexit. His engagement ensures that the UK’s financial sector interests are represented at the highest levels of EU policymaking, demonstrating the tangible impact of his lobbying efforts on regulatory developments

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +44 (0)20 3828 2732
LinkedIn: Sahir Akbar – LinkedIn Profile
Organization Website: Association for Financial Markets in Europe (AFME)
Office Locations:
- London Office: Contact via above email and phone
- Brussels Office: Stefano Mazzocchi (Deputy Contact) [email protected], +32 (0)2 788 3972

This profile consolidates publicly available information and documented lobbying activities of Mr. Sahir Akbar as a key representative of AFME, highlighting his strategic role in advocating for UK financial market interests within the European regulatory environment.