Ensuring an adequate loss-absorbing capacity of central counterparties

12 April 2015

by Benoît Cœuré

I would like to make some comments on a topic which has been steadily going up the central clearing agenda, namely the need to increase the loss-absorbing capacity of central counterparties (CCPs) beyond their current levels. Because of their growing systemic importance, CCPs need to be exceptionally robust, and that means being able to cope with even extreme losses. And to achieve this, it may well be necessary to increase their existing loss-absorbing capacity. Continue reading…

Through E-invoicing, gamification and tax kickbacks, customers support VAT-collection

11 April 2015
Knowledge Base

by Jos Feyaert

The battle against Tax erosion and the black economy can be fought by repression and heavy administrative control mechanisms and technologies as the white registers in restaurants and pubs. In Belgian we know what efforts have to be brought before it can be implemented. But why we don’t fight (at least partially) against it by using modern digital gamification technics, based on encouraging users (the crowd of clients) for asking for getting official invoices and bills from their suppliers. To be sure that the documents are not only issued, but also be registered and declared to the tax-authorities, one could organize a national lottery based upon the registered invoices.

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EBA consults on exposures to shadow banking

26 March 2015

The EBA launched a public consultation on its guidelines proposing criteria to set limits on EU institutions’ exposures to shadow banking entities. The document lays out a qualitative approach for institutions to develop their internal policies for monitoring and setting appropriate limits, both at individual and aggregate levels. These guidelines will also help inform the Commission’s work in relation to its report on the appropriateness and impact of imposing limits on exposures to shadow banking entities under Article 395(2) of the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR). The consultation runs until 19 June 2015. Continue reading…

ESMA Consultation Paper about MiFID

25 March 2015
Knowledge Base

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) launched yesterday a consultation on draft guidelines on complex debt instruments and structured deposits. These guidelines are intended to enhance investor protection by offering further clarification on which types of financial instruments and structured deposits can be provided, that all the relevant legal conditions are fulfilled, without the firm assessing a client’s knowledge and experience (i.e. to carry out an appropriateness test).

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Mario Draghi at the European Parliament

24 March 2015

A lot happened when Dragi spoke to the European Parliament in November last year. With Lithuania, the euro welcomed its 19th member.  The ECB started the asset purchase programme on March 9. The ECB also moved to a new building which has been officially inaugurated last week. The ECB unveiled a new 20 euro banknote; and in a milestone towards even greater transparency of  decision-making procedures, the ECB published on 19 February for the first time the accounts of a monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council of the ECB. The following speech of Mr. Draghi was held on March 23 in Brussels. Continue reading…

Opening ECB impressive new home…

19 March 2015

The European Central Bank (ECB) yesterday inaugurated its new premises on the site of the Grossmarkthalle – Frankfurt’s former wholesale market hall – alongside regular meetings of the Governing Council and General Council. “This building is a symbol of the best of what Europe can achieve together,” said ECB President Mario Draghi.  Some activists in the streets of Frankfurt clearly did not agree with Draghi. Continue reading…

The Number of Financial Attacks Against Android Users Tripled in 2014

10 March 2015

The Kaspersky Lab study ‘Financial Cyberthreats in 2014’ reports that the number of financial malware attacks against Android users grew by 3.25 times in 2014. Following an initial decrease in March 2014, Kaspersky Lab researchers registered a significant increase in the number of attacks by Trojan-SMS malware during the second half of the year. Continue reading…

The fourth European anti-money laundering directive, “AMLD4”:

10 March 2015

The Council of the European Union approved an agreement with the European Parliament on strengthened rules to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing.The directive and regulation will strengthen EU rules against money laundering and ensure consistency with the approach followed at international level. The draft regulation deals more specifically with information accompanying transfers of funds.

 

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Paul Westcott

Paul Westcott

Senior Product Manager Compliance at Dun & Bradstreet Ltd.

AML in Perspective: Money Laundering Outside the Financial Sector

05 March 2015

Trawling through the various articles that focus on non-financial businesses and compliance I felt these comments by Sergio Ferragut was very interesting. Sergio Ferragut is a senior consultant on public policy and business transformation and lectures on drug policy, money laundering and business transformation. He was in charge of key projects on transformation and anti-money laundering at the Mexican Attorney General Office (PGR) and the Mexican Treasury Department (SHCP) after a long career in senior management positions within the private sector in retailing, information technology and banking. Continue reading…