Paris-based cement maker Lafarge thought it was saving a plant—instead, it built a pipeline to the Islamic State of Syria.
Europe
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Inside a Dark Pact, Chapter 2: Background and Evolution of a Scheme
Middlemen were used and invoices were falsified, but the trail remained. French cement maker Lafarge’s Syrian cement plant began as a business in a war zone, but it soon spiraled into a revenue-sharing agreement with ISIS that led to historic charges of financing terrorism.
Posted inEurope
Inside a Dark Pact, Chapter 1: Lafarge’s Terrorist Funding and Compliance Fallout in Syria
Compliance Week’s latest case study investigates French cement maker Lafargeʼs collapse into criminal conduct detailing how sidelining ethics and compliance can lead companies into dangerous territory. What began as “local concessions” ended in funding terrorism—and a historic legal and reputational disaster.
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Digital wallets to speed up regulatory checks for recruitment, property transactions
You can already buy a coffee with your phone, but soon you could start a job or buy a house with it. Digital compliance wallets holding certificates and documents on smartphones are gaining traction worldwide.
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EU targets crypto, fintech firms in push to tackle money laundering
Europe’s banking regulator warns that weak compliance at fintech, regtech, and crypto firms may let money laundering and terrorist financing risks slip through. The EBA also found EU regulators’ approaches are often inconsistent and unclear.
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Digital wallets should speed up compliance, but companies must focus on trust and security
The EU has one, the U.K. is getting one, many U.S. states are working with Google and Apple to provide one, and now industry sectors are developing their own digital wallet.
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Compliance in the spotlight as tariffs, sanctions turn into geopolitical weapons
Navigating tariffs and sanctions is becoming a core part of compliance for many companies. As the U.S. and others use economic policies for political aims, compliance teams must adapt to this new geoeconomic trend.
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U.K. hopes to create ‘third way’ in AI regulation between EU and U.S.
The U.K.’s data regulator has unveiled a new enforcement approach to AI development and usage that experts say seeks to carve a middle way between the strict rules applied by the European Union (EU) and the pro-industry, light-touch regime favored by the U.S.
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Google AI Overviews under EU scrutiny after publishers file antitrust complaint
Google has once again been hit with an antitrust complaint. This time, it’s not about its Chrome browser or Google Search business, but instead the company’s use of AI.
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U.S. tariffs and compliance: what U.K. and EU companies need to consider
Tariff risk has probably rarely featured on many companies’ risk registers in recent years, but it now likely sits high on the agenda because of President Donald Trump’s tariff focus.