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?
Europe
Posted inData Privacy
Companies should brace for scrutiny, fines after EDPB’s latest GDPR investigation
The European Data Protection Board has made checking organizations’ compliance with the GDPR’s transparency requirements a key area of focus for the coming year under its Coordinated Enforcement Framework.
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 inArtificial Intelligence
New code for AI Act compliance will be ‘de facto’ standard, say experts
The European Union has issued updated guidance to help companies better understand—as well as comply with—the transparency requirements that underpin the bloc’s groundbreaking legislation aimed at ensuring safe AI use.
Posted inFinance
Lloyds IT glitch: Key lessons for compliance
IT outages seem to be increasingly prevalent in the financial services sector, despite a firmer focus on technical resilience by regulators both in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the European Union (EU). A recent tech glitch that hit a major U.K. bank should compel compliance teams in the sector to review their IT security and incident reporting at the very least, say experts.
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 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 inRegulatory Policy
EU moves step closer to harmonizing anti-corruption laws
The European Union has moved a step closer in its plans to introduce new rules meant to harmonize how member states tackle corruption, as well as how EU institutions and agencies such as Europol, Eurojust, and the European Anti-Fraud Office work together to protect the bloc’s budget and combat corporate crime.
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 inRegulatory Policy
Preparing for the EU’s anti-corruption directive
The EU Anti-Corruption Directive is set to come into force in a few months’ time and will take effect in mid-2028. It will harmonize bribery and corruption rules across the Single Market, as well as raise the prospect of better enforcement in those EU countries that have—so far—taken a decidedly lax approach to investigating and prosecuting serious corporate crime.
