The EuroMed Justice Programme (EMJ) has organised a workshop between Belgian and Lebanese authorities on the international exchange of information for the detection and recovery of criminal assets. The activity was held in Brussels on 1-3 February using the new Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) tool. A delegation of seven judges and prosecutors from Lebanon, one of the South Partner Countries (SPCs), met with representatives of the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, the Federal Police, the Central Organ for Seizure and Confiscation (OCSC) and the Financial Intelligence Processing Unit (CTIF). Continue reading…

In his speech at the 6th Annual Afore Conference, Steven Maijoor spoke about the complexity of reshaping regulation and supervision in a financial sector where platforms and new technology play in increasingly important role. ‘This is not Basel 3, this is Basel to the power of 3.’, he said. He emphasised that, despite these complexities, financial regulators and supervisors have a responsibility to make sure that they can continue to deliver on their mandate to safeguard financial stability. Continue reading…

by Francesco Domenico Attisano, Fabio Accardi & Roberto Rosato

A quick overview on historical trend of global risks, as outlined by the Global Risk Report, with a focus on the last two years in particular, and of the outlook drawn in the latest GRR edition, can help us to take out relevant insights on risk governance and compliance. Continue reading…

KPMG has apologised for misconduct and misleading the UK’s accounting regulator after former auditors were accused of “forgery” related to audits including that of Carillion, the major government contractor that collapsed four years ago. Jon Holt, the chief executive of KPMG UK, said it was “clear” that misconduct had occurred, in a statement published to mark the start of a disciplinary tribunal on Monday. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has alleged that KPMG misled its investigators over routine inspections of the audits of Carillion and the software company Regenersis, in 2016 and 2014 respectively. The FRC has alleged that “relevant individuals acted with a lack of integrity in dishonestly or recklessly misleading the regulator”, according to tribunal documents. Continue reading…

The FCA has recently published a Discussion Paper aimed at maintaining a compensation framework that provides appropriate protection for consumers, funded in a fair and sustainable way. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) provides compensation when certain authorised financial services firms are unable to meet claims against them. The FSCS plays a critical backstop role in protecting consumers and ensuring confidence in financial services markets. Continue reading…

The European Commission has recently presented a key initiative to fight against the misuse of shell entities for improper tax purposes. The proposal should ensure that entities in the European Union that have no or minimal economic activity are unable to benefit from any tax advantages and do not place any financial burden on taxpayers. This will also protect the level playing field for the vast majority of European businesses, who are key to the EU’s recovery, and will ensure that ordinary taxpayers do not suffer additional financial burden due to those that try to avoid paying their fair share. Continue reading…

Join the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics for their 10th Annual European Compliance & Ethics Institute, which will be taking place both in-person and virtually to learn about the challenges facing the European and global compliance and ethics community. Hear from today’s compliance and ethics leaders on the latest solutions to your challenges, hear strategies to mitigate risk, and improve your organisation’s compliance program. ECEI’s educational sessions will provide you with the opportunity to earn live Compliance Certification Board (CCB)® continuing education units (CEUs).
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The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has recently published a Practices Paper on the Execution of Bail-in. Bail-in is at the core of resolution strategies for global systemically important banks (G-SIBs). Set out in the Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions, it is an important tool enabling an orderly resolution that minimises any impact on financial stability and ensures the continuity of critical functions, without exposing taxpayers to loss. Continue reading…

The European Commission has proposed to update the rules on coordination of safe and free movement in the EU, which were put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the summer, vaccine uptake has increased significantly and the EU Digital COVID Certificate has been rolled out successfully, with more than 650 million certificates issued to date. At the same time, the epidemiological situation in the EU continues to develop with some Member States taking additional public health measures, including administering booster vaccines. Taking into account all those factors, the Commission is proposing a stronger focus on a ‘person-based’ approach to travel measures and a standard acceptance period for vaccination certificates of 9 months since the primary vaccination series. The 9 month period takes into account the guidance of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on the administration of booster doses as of 6 months, and provides for an additional period of 3 months to ensure that national vaccination campaigns can adjust and citizens can have access to boosters.
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