Modernising asset servicing in Europe : Challenges, opportunities, and practical guidance

This paper examines the structural modernisation of asset servicing in Europe in light of recent regulatory, technological, and market developments. It argues that the transition to T+1 settlement, the introduction of the Framework for Applied Science Technology Engineering Requirements (FASTER) for withholding tax relief, the continued evolution of Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD) II, and the regulatory formalisation of digital assets through Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and the DLT Pilot Regime collectively create a cumulative and unavoidable transformation agenda for European post-trade operations. Rather than treating modernisation as a technology upgrade, the paper frames it as an operating model redesign centred on data governance, automation, standardisation, and clear allocation of accountability across multilayer custody chains. The analysis identifies the principal structural challenges facing European institutions, including legal and market fragmentation, legacy-format coexistence, compressed operational timelines under T+1, and opacity of liability across intermediaries. It then highlights the strategic opportunities created by regulatory alignment, ISO 20022 adoption, harmonised tax processes, and the integration of digital asset servicing into institutional-grade infrastructures. Readers will gain a structured understanding of how European regulatory initiatives interconnect, how they reshape asset-servicing risk and governance models, and what practical steps institutions can take to build resilient, data-centric, and scalable servicing capabilities. The paper provides both conceptual clarity and operational guidance for policy makers, market infrastructures, custodians, and investment firms navigating Europe’s post-trade transformation. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.