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# Recital 4

*In force · Directive 2014/65/EU, OJ L 173, 12.6.2014 · Checked against EUR-Lex on 28 Sep 2026 · [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014L0065)*

The financial crisis has exposed weaknesses in the functioning and in the transparency of financial markets. The evolution of financial markets has exposed the need to strengthen the framework for the regulation of markets in financial instruments, including where trading in such markets takes place over-the-counter (OTC), in order to increase transparency, better protect investors, reinforce confidence, address unregulated areas, and ensure that supervisors are granted adequate powers to fulfil their tasks.