Global Glimpses

Mandatory auditor rotation is an idea that goes in and out of favor among various countries, leading to no common practice anywhere. So, Paul Hodgson asks: Why is the whole world chasing its tail on this issue?

A report by research firm Pinset Masons and YouGov, reveals that 16 percent of customers would likely switch to a “challenger bank” like Metro or TSD within the next two years. These findings come after the British Competition Authority’s recommended the country’s biggest lenders to provide more information around the full costs of accounts to clients instead of breaking up the big four U.K. banks to inject some competition.

According to the Telegraph, as part of an ongoing probe into a pollution-cheating scheme, police swept through Volkswagen’s main office in Villers-Cotterets in northern France and another office near Paris on Friday, seizing data devices, documents, and computer hardware. The automatker, which is facing large fines, legal costs,and class-action lawsuits, said it is  “co-operating fully with authorities.” More inside.

The Serious Fraud Office has accelerated its probe into the accounting irregularities at Tesco, hoping to resolve the criminal investigation by year-end. The supermarket chain’s former chief executive Philip Clarke is one of many former Tesco executives being scrutinized by the agency in its investigation; Laurie McIlwee, former finance director, is being interviewed as a witness. Details inside.

Big news this week from France as the Commission Nationale de I’Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) rejected Google’s appeal against the enforcement of “right to be forgotten.” If Google fails to comply with CNIL’s order, the company may be hit with sanctions, including a €300,000 fine, which could increase to 5 percent of Google’s global operating costs in light of new European regulations. More inside.

A review by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority found that banks need to take the risks associated with benchmark rates more seriously. FCA believes that financial institutions should learn from the recent scandals that rocked the industry and ensure that such misconduct does not happen again. The watchdog says that bank reforms and benchmarking activities are moving at a glacial pace, which is “disappointing,” said Tracey McDermott, director of supervision, FCA. Details inside.

Spain has been receiving a lot of attention for its corporate compliance defense. Not only did the country adopt new requirements to help root out corruption; it goes further than other nations have gone by mandating specific features that compliance programs must contain to qualify. In this podcast, Aaron Murphy, partner at law firm Foley & Lardner, discusses the steps Spain has taken to embed compliance right into its statute. Listen here.

Czech bankers are worried about new European rules that may pose  systemic risks to countries across Europe. The legislation, which is currently being reviewed by the European Commission will cause big depositors and bondholders, instead of national regulators, to incur more losses. Bankers are worried that this could lead to destabilized banks and market volatility in some countries. Details inside.

The Serious Fraud Office has extended a deferred-prosecution agreement to Barclays to end an investigation into the bank’s alleged role in the £2 billion Qatari 2008 fundraising and other practices that helped the bank weather the financial crisis. British regulators recently gained the power to issue DPAs, and the SFO had considered informing the magistrates’ court that Barclays was not cooperating with regulators. Details inside.

Hisao Tanaka, chief executive of Toshiba Corp.,  is expected to step down in September in light of accounting missteps at the Japanese conglomerate. The domino effect will continue as key board members are rumored to be leaving over the next few months. News reports indicate that top executives may have knowingly encouraged corporate misconduct for several years.

MasterCard is once again in the spotlight, as the European Commission has swooped in on the company’s potential abuse of interchange fees. After a two-year investigation, Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said, “MasterCard is artificially raising the costs of card payments, which would harm consumers and retailers in the European Union.” More inside.

Elizabeth Corley, global chief of Allianz Global Investors, warns that there can be serious consequences to the economy if bankers continue to engage in reckless misconduct. Corley says rogue bankers often see wrongdoing as a minor rather than a serious offence, which can lead to bigger problems for financial institutions. Her research of legal, compliance, audit, and management shows that too many employees can’t tell if they are going down the wrong path. Details inside.

India’s Union Cabinet recently approved amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act (PoCA) that will expand the scope of the law to corporate executives. Currently the law prohibits corrupt acts by public servants and government officials, who have been at the center of enforcement actions. Over the years, government corruption has not only stifled the country’s economic growth but also threatened the fiscal health of many companies. More inside.

The European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager confirmed that the watchdog is continuing its investigation into Google for allegedly engaging in anti-competitive behavior. In an interview with BBC, Vestager said that more probes are ongoing into the tech giant’s role in mapping, travel, flight, and third-party data. Details inside.

The European Union is looking into the possible breach of antitrust laws in e-commerce practices. The inquiry may lead to enforcement actions against companies that restrict online sales and “abuse” their dominant position in the market. Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s antitrust chief, said that although the investigation will produce results in mid-2016, it “reflects the scope of the inquiry.” Details inside.