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New series of thematic indices covering European companies that contribute to Europe’s strategic autonomy
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Euronext updates methodologies of existing blue-chip ESG indices
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Tailored solutions to enhance equity financing of European aerospace and defence companies
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New solutions to facilitate the issuance of European defence bonds
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Euronext to facilitate employees’ engagement in local military reserves
Euronext today announced the launch of a full set of initiatives related to Energy, Security and Geostrategy, the “New ESG”, to strengthen European strategic autonomy. This set of initiatives led by Euronext will increase the visibility of European companies operating in strategic sectors and give them unprecedented tools to meet their financing needs through easier access to capital. These New ESG solutions are also designed to address the growing demand from asset managers, institutional and retail investors to get better exposure to high-growth segments through thematic indices.
Stéphane Boujnah, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext, said: "Since 2022, and even more in recent months, we have witnessed the emergence of a new geopolitical order centred around three key notions, forming a New ESG: Energy, Security, Geostrategy. Amid global tensions, Europe must defend its own values, interests and way of life. To guarantee our capacity for innovation, our energy supply and our defence capabilities, we all need to take action now. Investors are becoming more eager to increase their exposure to the growing opportunities related to the ongoing investments in aerospace, defence, energy and strategic infrastructure in Europe. Euronext today announced a comprehensive set of measures that will give European companies that contribute to the European continent’s strategic autonomy increased visibility and enhanced access to capital markets. As a company deeply committed to European growth and resilience, Euronext will also introduce programmes to facilitate its own employees’ engagement in military reserve forces in the countries where Euronext operates. Euronext teams are committed to build a stronger, more innovative and more autonomous Europe.”
1.New series of thematic indices covering European companies that contribute to Europe’s strategic autonomy
As a leading index provider, Euronext is ideally positioned to facilitate capital deployment into European companies that reinforce Europe’s strategic autonomy, through the creation of a new series of flagship thematic indices designed to capture companies most critical to Europe’s long-term self-sufficiency.
These new indices will meet institutional and retail investors’ needs to build targeted exposure to sectors essential to Europe’s autonomy and to the companies best positioned to grow in an evolving geopolitical landscape.
In particular, Euronext is launching indices on the following key themes:
- Energy: the Euronext European Energy Security Index tracks companies that play an essential role to ensure Europe's energy stability across key sectors including conventional energy, nuclear power, renewable power and critical energy infrastructure;
- Security: the Euronext European Aerospace & Defence Index captures the innovators and leaders across aerospace, defence technologies and advanced manufacturing, offering a comprehensive investment vehicle to support the industry's most influential forces;
- Geostrategy: the Euronext European Strategic Autonomy Index provides targeted exposure to companies that drive strategic independence across defence, energy, technology and other critical sectors, aligning with Europe's push for greater resilience and sovereignty in essential industries.
Leveraging industry support, these new flagship indices and their closely related derivations are designed and already used as reference indices for investment products in partnership with banks and investment management companies, and will help channel capital to support the companies most critical to Europe’s strategic autonomy.
2.Euronext updates methodologies of existing blue-chip ESG indices
Euronext is dedicated to sustainability, especially to the reduction of carbon footprint and to the preservation of biodiversity. Euronext has established itself as a leading ESG index provider to fulfil the demand of the asset management industry, offering a comprehensive range of indices that incorporate sustainability considerations. As part of Euronext’s long-standing commitment to transparency and regulatory alignment, these indices are regularly revisited to reflect evolving market standards.
Before June 2025, ESG methodologies will be revisited for the CAC 40 ESG® and MIB ESG® indices. These new methodologies will be implemented on the occasion of the quarterly review of both indices in June 2025.
Going forward, eligibility screening steps in the CAC 40 ESG® and MIB ESG® will be amended to be aligned with the criteria set out in ESMA’s new guidelines on ESG fund naming conventions. These include the defence industry, for which exclusions are strictly limited to armament activities prohibited by international treaties signed and ratified in the relevant countries.
In line with ESMA’s guidelines, Euronext will encourage ESG rating agencies to restrict the concept of controversial weapons only to armament activities prohibited by relevant international treaties.
3.Tailored solutions to enhance equity financing of European aerospace and defence companies
European aerospace and defence companies have expressed the urgent need to invest heavily in their innovation and production capacities to guarantee Europe’s strategic autonomy for the next decade. Euronext is uniquely positioned to support this significant growth in their financing needs. Leveraging its European footprint and a number of existing programmes, Euronext will offer tailored financing solutions to connect European aerospace and defence companies to skills, network and capital to support them throughout their financing journey.
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By the end of 2025, Euronext will launch a European Aerospace and Defence Growth Hub dedicated to the supply chain of aerospace and defence companies across Europe. The European Aerospace and Defence Growth Hub will be powered by ELITE, Euronext’s ecosystem of private European companies. Since 2018, ELITE has worked with Leonardo (a global industrial group that builds technological capabilities in the aerospace, defence and security sector) and its supply chain to foster suppliers’ growth, enable the ramp-up of production, improve business management and provide access to a wide range of financial resources. As part of the European Aerospace and Defence Growth Hub, entrepreneurs and executives will explore financing options, develop managerial capabilities to scale, and benefit from peer-to-peer sharing and matching.
Euronext will organise European funding days dedicated to the aerospace and defence sector on 7 and 8 July 2025. Designed to help entrepreneurs enhance their knowledge of capital markets and accelerate the connection of growing businesses to investors and advisors from the financial ecosystem, these funding days will allow entrepreneurs to evaluate the financing options available to them across Europe, from debt to equity, and from private to public capital.
Euronext will launch IPOready Defence in the third quarter of 2025, leveraging Europe’s largest pre-IPO programme, IPOready, to support aerospace and defence entrepreneurs in understanding financing options and the roadmap to an IPO through a comprehensive training programme. The programme will be supported by the European Union and the European Investment Bank through the InvestEU Advisory Hub framework. Additional partners, such as defence industry associations and public financial institutions, have confirmed their willingness to contribute to IPOready Defence to support the selection process and deliver tailored content specific to the industry.
4.New solutions to facilitate the issuance of European defence bonds
As the worldwide leader for bond listing, and considering the urgent and crucial nature of debt issuance to finance European defence projects, Euronext is committed to facilitate the forthcoming deployment of European defence bonds.
Therefore, Euronext has introduced, as of today, a European Defence Bond Segment which gives access to a fast-track admission process on Euronext markets and which provides greater visibility to retail investors. Through this segment, all investors can easily access European defence bonds listed on Euronext.
Furthermore, Euronext fixed income secondary markets are fully equipped to facilitate institutional and retail investors’ access to market makers who already provide liquidity on a variety of bonds, including government bonds and corporate bonds, as well as EU bonds issued to finance projects designed to secure Europe’s strategic autonomy.
5.Euronext to facilitate employees’ engagement in local military reserves
As European sovereignty and independence relies on the ability of European citizens to take part in their country’s own defence ecosystem, Euronext creates a support framework for its employees who are already engaged in a reservist commitment, or who wish to take up this opportunity.
As of today, Euronext will guarantee the continuation of salary and social benefits for preliminary training periods of up to 15 days for all new reservists, and up to 10 days per year for all Euronext employees who are already engaged in a reservist commitment across all the group’s European locations. In countries where a more beneficial local reservist support system exists, the existing framework will prevail.
These measures will be accompanied by information exchange networking events and skill-sharing sessions in order to foster support, mentorship and acknowledgment. Euronext’s commitment will be established across its locations in line with the relevant local frameworks.
