Securities and Exchange Commission of the Republic of North Macedonia stresses clearer digital-era rules and supports regional capital markets linkage at HANFA conference

The Securities and Exchange Commission of the Republic of North Macedonia reported on its participation in the International Conference “Capital Markets in the Digital Age: Balancing Innovation and Surveillance”, hosted by the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency in Dubrovnik, where its president, Bujare Abazi, discussed how digitalisation is reshaping capital markets and supervisory approaches. The discussions emphasised the need to simplify and harmonise regulation while preserving market stability and confidence, with the aim of clearer rules rather than deregulation. Participants highlighted that regulators should focus on how digitalisation could affect financial stability, market competition, and investor protection, particularly given limited understanding of the risks of investing in digital assets. On the sidelines, Abazi held a working meeting with HANFA Board Chair Ante Žigman focused on continued cooperation, building on HANFA’s support and experience-sharing linked to drafting new European Union legislation. Abazi also joined a meeting with regulators from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia on integrating regional capital markets, in a context where stock exchanges and ministries of finance have signed memorandums of understanding on cooperation. The update underscored the role of supervisors in supporting this integration agenda and its alignment with broader European efforts on market integration, small-investor participation and regulatory harmonisation.