All articles by Roberta Holland – Page 2
-
Blog
New Year, New Headaches for France’s Alstom
Image: Title: KronJan. 7—The $772 million bribery settlement between Alstom SA and U.S. regulators last month did not close the door on allegations plaguing the French industrial conglomerate. The company continues to face ongoing bribery probes in Poland and the United Kingdom, according to published reports, with former employees facing ...
-
Blog
U.K. First in EU to Implement Tougher Transparency Rules for Extractives
Image: Jan. 8—The new year brought tougher transparency rules for listed European Union firms in the extractives and logging sectors, as the United Kingdom became the first to implement a new transparency directive ahead of the July deadline. Now oil, gas, and mining firms are required to prepare annually a ...
-
Blog
New UK Anti-Corruption Plan Omits Hideaway Homes
Britain’s ambitious U.K. Anti-Corruption Plan addresses everything from emboldened enforcement agencies to sharper criminal liability, but critics have jumped on one weakness: the plan’s mandate for a public register of beneficial ownership omits the housing market. Given the multitude of luxury homes in London owned by overseas trusts, that’s problematic, ...
-
Blog
EU Raises ‘Loophole Risk’ With New AML Regime
Transparency advocates are giving tempered praise to a new anti-money laundering regime proposed this month by representatives of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The new rules would mandate that member states create centralised registers of beneficial ownership behind companies, but outsiders such as journalists or ...
-
Blog
U.K. Stress Tests Show Few Capital Hiccups, Improved Resiliency
Image: Dec. 17—Three of eight major U.K. banks reviewed by regulators need to bolster their capital positions, but overall the banking system’s resiliency has improved, according to results of Bank of England stress tests meant to test banks’ ability to withstand a housing shock. “The results show that the core ...
-
Blog
Swiss ‘FIFA Law’ Turns Sports Execs Into Politically Exposed Persons
Image: Dec. 17—After years of grappling with corruption allegations against international sports federations based within their borders, Swiss lawmakers have passed a measure to criminalize corruption in sports and add sports federation heads to the definition of politically exposed persons facing enhanced scrutiny from banks. Swiss legislator Roland Büchel, who ...
-
Blog
Banking Union Moves Ahead With Bail-Out Fund Rules and Chairman Pick
Image: Dec. 10—The European Union has taken important steps in recent days regarding a bloc-wide banking union. The Council of the European Union has agreed to an eight-year phase-in plan to switch banks from national resolution funds contributions to the bloc-wide Single Resolution Fund. Meanwhile, the European Commission selected Germany’s ...
-
Blog
U.K. Financial Regulator Sharpening Focus With New Structure
Image: Dec. 10—The Financial Conduct Authority, which took over financial regulation for the United Kingdom in 2013, is undertaking a complete restructuring to better deliver on its objectives, protect consumers and market integrity, and promote competition. The agency announced that certain divisions will be consolidated with new ones created for ...
-
Blog
Denmark Comes Out on Top in TI’s Anti-Corruption Rankings
Image: Title: UgazDec. 3—Denmark took the top honor in the watchdog group Transparency International’s annual corruption perceptions index, ranking the cleanest of the 176 global economies reviewed. Denmark also tied for first place in last year’s index. Overall, more than two-thirds of the countries fell below a score of 50, ...
-
Blog
U.K. Fraud Office Gets Mixed Review Following Inspection
Image: Title: FullerDec. 4—The U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office has made some progress in fixing issues with staffing training, resource levels, and how it investigates complex cases, but more work needs to be done, according to a report from Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. “There has been genuine commitment from ...
-
Blog
U.K. Regulators Fine RBS, Two Others £56M for IT Lapses
Image: Title: McDermottNov. 25—Financial regulators in Britain fined Royal Bank of Scotland, National Westminster Bank, and Ulster Bank a combined £56 million last week for IT failings in the summer of 2012 that left customers without full access to ATMs, online payments, and other banking services. The joint enforcement action ...
-
Blog
Business Lobby Targeting Proposed EU Gender Quotas for Boards
Image: Title: SégolNov. 25—A proposed directive to implement EU-wide quotas for women on boards is one of a handful of pending measures the newly installed European Commission should shelve, says BusinessEurope. The lobbying group argued in a notice to the Commission that was leaked to media outlet EurActiv that the ...
-
Blog
Bank of England Chief Suggests Rules Needed for Bankers’ Fixed Pay
Image: Title: CarneyNov. 19—Even though caps on banker bonuses in the European Union are still generating controversy, some are calling for new rules for bankers’ fixed pay. Bank of England Governor and Financial Stability Board Chairman Mark Carney said during a speech this week that new rules on bankers’ fixed ...
-
Blog
European Commission Pushing Ahead with New Shareholder Rights Law
Image: Title: HooijerNov. 19—The head of corporate governance for the European Commission, Jeroen Hooijer, said at a recent conference in the Netherlands that the Commission could put a proposal to revise the European Union’s shareholder rights rules before lawmakers by next summer. The proposal was unveiled last spring and calls ...
-
Blog
EU Financial Services Commissioner Will Press on With Reforms
Image: Title: HillNov. 12—The new EU commissioner for financial services has pledged to continue implementing numerous reforms sparked by the 2008 financial collapse, but cautioned lawmakers to assess the effect new regulations have on growth and jobs. Jonathan Hill, commissioner for financial stability, financial services, and capital markets union, said ...
-
Blog
EU Approves New Damages Directive for Antitrust Violations
Image: Title: VestagerNov. 12—A new law approved by European Union lawmakers this week is designed to make it easier for companies suffering damages due to antitrust violations to seek compensation anywhere within the bloc. The damages directive includes new rules regarding disclosure of evidence and allows a decision from a ...
-
Blog
EU Securities, Markets Regulator Releases 2014 Enforcement Priorities
Image: Title: MaijoorNov. 5—The European Securities and Markets Authority has released common enforcement priorities for the year, which will be used by both ESMA and national regulators. These priorities include preparation and presentation of consolidated financial statements, financial reporting by entities with joint arrangements, and recognition and measurement of deferred ...
-
Blog
EU Banking Union Begins Supervision; New Regulations on Horizon
Image: Title: NouyNov. 5—In a major milestone for the long-anticipated banking union, the European Central Bank has begun its role as the single supervisor for the Eurozone’s banking sector. The ECB’s Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM) will directly oversee 120 of the area’s biggest banks and indirectly oversee more than 3,000 ...
-
Blog
Proponents Say IFRS Will Benefit EU Moving Forward
Image: Title: HoogervorstOct. 29—The heads of two groups charged with overseeing the International Financial Reporting Standards have told the European Commission that using the single set of financial reporting standards has benefited the European Union and will continue to do so. IFRS Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Michel Prada and ...
-
Blog
U.K. Fraud Office’s GC Offers Advice to Corporates for DPAs
Image: Title: GreenOct. 29—The general counsel for the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office has provided some advice for companies interested in taking advantage of newly approved deferred-prosecution agreements if faced with an investigation from the SFO. Alun Milford, the SFO’s general counsel, said in a speech that the key factors for ...