All Europe articles – Page 31
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Article‘Soft-hearted’ Irish DPC proposes $42M GDPR fine against Facebook
The Irish Data Protection Commission has set out plans to fine Facebook between €28 million and €36 million (U.S. $32 million and $42 million) for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation.
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ArticleKPMG rapped for ‘untruthful defense’ in Silentnight investigation
KPMG and one of its former partners were found to be “untruthful” during an independent tribunal’s investigation into the audit firm’s advisory role regarding the sale of mattress company Silentnight to private equity firm HIG Capital.
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ArticleLate surge expected to comply with EU Whistleblowing Directive
European companies are expected to rush to comply with new whistleblower protection rules only when they take effect in December, meaning workers are not adequately protected for any disclosures they make in the meantime.
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ArticlePetrofac fine fallout: Penalty too light for SFO to claim success?
Petrofac’s relatively low penalty for multiple bribery offenses might encourage companies to take their chances when faced with the choice of a possible criminal conviction or cutting a deal with the Serious Fraud Office, legal experts warn.
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ArticlePetrofac to pay $105M for widespread bribery scheme
Petrofac was ordered to pay £77 million (U.S. $105 million) to conclude a long-running investigation into allegations company executives paid to win lucrative oil contracts in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
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ArticleFRC probing Crowe over Akazoo audit
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council announced the start of an investigation into audit firm Crowe UK concerning the financial statements of Luxembourg-incorporated on-demand music streaming subscription company Akazoo.
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ArticleGermany’s N26 fined $5M for AML lapses
Mobile bank N26 revealed it paid a €4.25 million (U.S. $5 million) fine ordered by Germany’s market regulator regarding deficiencies in its reporting of suspicious activities “in the area of anti-money laundering.”
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ArticleGrant Thornton UK fined $3.2M for Patisserie Valerie audit lapses
Grant Thornton UK has been fined £2.34 million (U.S. $3.2 million) by the Financial Reporting Council for failures in its audits of collapsed café chain Patisserie Valerie between 2015 and 2017.
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ArticlePetrofac readies bribery guilty plea, touts compliance enhancements
Petrofac will plead guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery, the potential endpoint in a long-running investigation into allegations company executives paid to win lucrative contracts in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
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ArticleCMA’s Green Claims Code latest effort in greenwashing crackdown
Companies have until the end of the year to stop making misleading claims about the green credentials of their products and services or face regulatory action, the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority has warned.
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ArticleBig Four mishaps in U.K. underscore need to challenge auditors
Companies should question their auditors throughout the audit process, particularly in the wake of a spate of recent enforcement actions in the United Kingdom targeting the Big Four and other large firms for audit deficiencies.
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ArticleSwedbank CCO lauded for role in AML rebound to retire
Ingrid Harbo, Swedbank’s chief compliance officer during its ongoing recovery from a massive AML scandal, announced she will retire in March 2022.
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ArticleNord Stream 2 a study in sanctions complexity
The construction of Nord Stream 2 and the accompanying geopolitics at play illustrate how difficult it can be for compliance to respond to evolving sanctions risks.
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ArticleWhatsApp GDPR fine fallout: EDPB actions shift enforcement landscape
Experts weigh in on the Irish Data Protection Commission’s €225 million (U.S. $267 million) GDPR fine against WhatsApp, which saw the European Data Protection Board rule to increase the fine total and compliance obligations.
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ArticleGerman AML deficiencies in spotlight ahead of election
A recent raid by German prosecutors of the country’s finance and justice ministries has once again put a spotlight on Germany’s apparent failings in tackling financial crime.
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ArticleCredit Suisse appoints Rafael Lopez Lorenzo as chief compliance officer
Credit Suisse has named Rafael Lopez Lorenzo as its chief compliance officer, five months removed from his predecessor stepping down in the wake of massive losses caused by the collapses of Archegos Capital Management and Greensill Capital.
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ArticleIreland shakes up GDPR enforcement with $267M fine against WhatsApp
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced a record-breaking €225 million (U.S. $267 million) fine against WhatsApp that is equally significant for the compliance lessons it imparts and inconsistency of the GDPR it exposes.
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ArticleFRC: KPMG provided ‘false’ info in Carillion, Regenersis audit inspections
The U.K. Financial Reporting Council issued a disciplinary formal complaint against KPMG for allegedly providing “false and misleading” information during inspections into the Big Four firm’s audits of Carillion and Regenersis.
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ArticleU.K. signals divergence from GDPR with new data transfer approach
The United Kingdom announced plans to strike independent data adequacy decisions with key countries—including the United States—as part of its post-Brexit economic strategy.
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ArticleU.K. audit breakup plan hits snag without Big Four support
The Big Four audit firms have refused to back a U.K. government plan to break their dominance of the market by forcing them to share work with smaller competitors to give them a foothold.