The EU has published guidelines for the biggest overhaul of rules governing mergers since 2004. However, commentators are warning that loosening the M&A code may create new risks and still not deliver the “mega companies” that proponents seek. And EU officials appear divided. Where does this leave compliance teams?
Ruth Prickett
Ruth Prickett graduated from Cambridge University with a BA hons in History and has specialized in business and finance journalism for the past 20 years. She was editor of Financial Management, the magazine for the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, for many years before relaunching and editing Audit & Risk magazine for the Chartered IIA. She has written for a wide range of specialist business titles and drafted white papers and reports for clients including HSBC and Vodafone.
Posted inBanking
U.K. tightens debanking rules as compliance teams in banks walk a regulatory tightrope
Closing a U.K. bank account against the wishes of the customer has just got more complicated. From April 28, banks and payment service providers must comply with new rules governing when and how they close an existing customer’s account.
Posted inAML
Most FS firms expect to miss EU AML deadline amid data and due diligence challenges
Two-thirds of financial services firms will not be able to meet the requirements of the EU anti-money laundering package when it comes into force in July 2027.
Posted inAccounting & Auditing, Artificial Intelligence, Finance, Top Stories, United Kingdom
Auditors who use AI cannot blame the tech for mistakes, says U.K. regulator
The U.K.’s audit regulator has issued what it says is the world’s first guidance on the use of generative AI and agentic AI in auditing. This sets out where AI should and shouldn’t be used in auditing, and why audit firms will not be able to blame the tech if it goes wrong.
Posted inFinance
U.K. Targeted Support narrows advice-guidance gap, raises compliance stakes
The U.K.’s Targeted Support Scheme, intended to provide millions of people with a newly created category of affordable regulated financial advice, went live on April 1. The U.K. government billed the scheme as a “once in a generation” change that will help millions to navigate their financial lives more effectively.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Chocolate bars: Investigations into Ferrero are a lesson for compliance on EU antitrust commitments
Chocolate companies are in the sights of EU antitrust regulators. Ferrero, maker of Kinder, Ferrero Rocher, and Nutella, has revealed that it was the target of “dawn raids” by the European Commission in two EU member states.
Posted inArtificial Intelligence
U.K. joins global trend for AI-enabled regulatory supervision
The U.K. financial regulator is expanding its remit and planning to deploy AI to manage its increased workload. This is part of a global trend and has significant compliance implications.
Posted inRegulatory Policy
U.K. banking regulator focuses on accountability, governance and data while relaxing reporting cycles
The U.K. banking regulator is shifting its focus to rigorously monitoring outcomes, rather than adding rules, and this is driving investment in oversight functions.
Posted inEurope
EU unveils customs overhaul to tackle e-commerce and geopolitical shifts
The EU Customs Union currently deals with trade worth €4.3 trillion a year. In 2024, 2,140 customs offices across the trading bloc collected almost €27 billion in customs duties and dealt with 1.37 billion items.
Posted inOpinion
Gartner director Stuart Strome on how compliance can shift from the ‘no’ department to an instigator of innovation
AI governance is crucial to organizational innovation, according to Stuart Strome, director at Gartner. Businesses that lead corporate governance initiatives around AI will be better placed to manage regulatory risks and facilitate technological advances without increasing friction.
