by Neil Esho
I would like to start by thanking the organisers for the invitation to speak at the “TBTF & Financial Stability” Symposium in Zurich. A resilient banking system and financial stability more broadly are largely driven by:
Bank risk management and governance practices; The quantity and quality of capital and liquidity buffers; The effectiveness of bank supervision; and The effectiveness of market discipline.
The European Central Bank (ECB) today published the latest report on card schemes and processors. Card payments have emerged as the dominant electronic payment method in the European Union (EU), accounting for 70 billion payments – 54% of all non-cash transactions – in 2023. The report’s findings raise questions about the EU’s strategic autonomy in payments, particularly given the growing dominance of international card schemes. Continue reading…
The European Commission has approved unconditionally, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Infinera Corporation (‘Infinera’) by Nokia Corporation (‘Nokia’). The Commission concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’). Continue reading…
Directive 2023/2864 amended in 2023 Directive 2009/138 (the SII directive or SII) by inserting a new Article 304b into SII. That article was not amended by the SII Review Directive (Directive 2025/2). As a result, according to Article 304b, the following information will be accessible on the European single access point (ESAP) as of 10 January 2030.
Any information referred to in Article 51(1) of Directive 2009/138; Any information referred to in Article 256(1) of Directive 2009/138; The information referred to in Article 271(1) of Directive 2009/138; The information referred to in Article 280(1) of Directive 2009/138.
The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has published a letter from its Chair, Klaas Knot, to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors ahead of their meeting on 26-27 February. The letter notes that shifting financial conditions and geopolitical uncertainty call for continued vigilance on financial stability. The FSB has developed extensive reforms in recent years to enhance resilience by addressing key financial system vulnerabilities. These reforms target not only safety and soundness, but also support innovation by providing clarity on policy approaches for emerging topics like crypto-assets. Continue reading…
The 20th NextGen Payments & RegTech Forum returns to Zurich, Switzerland on 6 March 2025 at the Marriott Hotel, bringing together top industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers to explore the future of payments and regulatory technology. Connect with 250+ key decision-makers and visionary leaders who have successfully driven transformative innovation and are taking the stage to share and exchange groundbreaking ideas and strategies that will shape the future of finance in this era of rapid innovation. Get ready to be part of the conversation that’s driving the next wave of financial transformation! Continue reading…
For nine years, Risk in Focus has been the trusted resource for internal auditors to shape their risk assessments, annual plans, and audit strategies. The 2025 report reveals a fast-approaching wave of digital disruption, AI advancements, and interconnected risks like never before. Continue reading…
The industry Task Force has set out a roadmap to shorten the UK securities settlement cycle to T+1. In her speech, Sasha Mills (Executive Director, Financial Market Infrastructure) explains why it is important that firms and settlement infrastructures put in place plans for sustainable change that can bring long term efficiencies, while maintaining resilient settlement processes. As part of this effort, the Bank looks forward to continuing to have dialogue with regulators in other markets which are pursuing similar changes. Continue reading…
The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) has recently released the Cybersecurity Topical Requirement, the first of several Topical Requirements to be published this year. Incorporating feedback from global practitioners and stakeholders, the Cybersecurity Topical Requirement provides a baseline approach to assessing the design and implementation of cybersecurity governance, risk management and control processes. Continue reading…
On 19 February, the Commission is presenting its Vision for Agriculture and Food, an ambitious roadmap on the future of farming and food in Europe. This roadmap sets the stage for an attractive, competitive, resilient, future-oriented and fair agri-food system for current and future generations of farmers and agri-food operators. Simplifying further our policies and increasing the uptake of innovation and digitalisation are pre-requisites to all actions outlined in the Vision. Later in 2025, the Commission will propose a comprehensive simplification package for the current agricultural legislative framework, along with an EU digital strategy for agriculture to support the transition to digital-ready farming. Continue reading…
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Gone are the days when organisations could simply promise a speak up culture. Today, fostering a culture of trust, integrity, and a positive work environment…
Download whitepaperEconomic uncertainty has driven the perfect storm of interlocking risks described in last year’s Risk in Focus in new directions in 2023. Organisations are now…
Download whitepaperLieve LowetEU Affairs consultant and lobbyist
Elina Karpacheva Chair of the European Compliance Centre based in Sofia, Bulgaria
Ahsan HabibManager, AML Investigation - Correspondent Banking, Royal Bank of Canada
Michael AmadoLawyer in Paris / Lawyer in Canada
Alex MovchanAlex Movchan CIA CICA CFE is the President of the Institute for Internal Controls - Central and Eastern Europe
Elena PykhovaElena Pykhova is a thought leader, influencer and founder of a think tank, Best Practice Operational Risk Forum. 
Daniel VaknineCEO and Partner of Visslan
Nancy MehradAuthor and the CEO and Founder of Registrant Law Professional Corporation
Ajay KataraConsulting Partner and Head the RegTech Portfolio in Banking Risk Management area at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)