All U.K. articles – Page 2

  • Blog

    British Regulator Slaps Bank of Beirut With A Hefty Fine

    2015-03-18T12:00:00Z

    Image: Title: PhilippouBritish regulators are taking action after two former Bank of Beirut employees misled the Financial Conduct Authority about whether the bank had complied with orders to boost its financial crime protections. The bank was fined £2.1 million and is temporarily banned from “acquiring new customers from high-risk” locations. ...

  • Blog

    EU Court Annuls European Location Policy for CCPs

    2015-03-11T12:00:00Z

    The General Court of the European Union has overturned a European Central Bank framework requiring large central counterparties (CCPs) dealing with euro-denominated transactions to be located within the Eurozone. The court ruled that the ECB lacked the authority to require CCPs involved in clearing securities to be located within the ...

  • Blog

    U.K. Financial Regulator Boosting Individual Accountability, Audit Rules

    2015-03-04T13:30:00Z

    Image: Title: BaileyThe U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority says individual senior managers of financial firms could face sanctions if a breach occurs in their area of responsibility and it’s proven the manager took no reasonable steps to avoid it. “Our new accountability regime will hold all senior managers, including non-executive directors, ...

  • Blog

    U.K. Fraud Office Loses Corruption Case, Owes £6M Legal Bill

    2015-02-18T11:30:00Z

    Image: The Serious Fraud Office is facing a £6M legal bill after a judge dismissed a case in which the agency attempted to retry six people over an alleged fraud using a legal method known as “voluntary bill of indictment.” Justice Hickinbottom said, “Once the dismissal application had been formally ...

  • Blog

    Transparency Watchdog Calls for End to Money Laundering ‘Impunity’

    2015-02-18T10:45:00Z

    Image: Title: UgazTransparency International is calling on governments around the world to join together to end money laundering. The group says authorities should make it their highest priority to prosecute individuals and banks for conducting illicit financial transactions. TI board chairman Jose Ugaz said the lack of senior ...

  • Blog

    Belgium Eyeing Arrest Warrants for HSBC Managers

    2015-02-11T13:00:00Z

    It hasn’t been an easy week for London-based HSBC. Rocked last weekend by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ Swiss Leaks probe, detailing massive tax evasion by HSBC’s private Swiss bank, HSBC is now faced with the prospect of Belgian authorities issuing arrest warrants for former and current managers ...

  • Blog

    EU Firms Face New AML Rules, Beneficial Ownership Registry

    2015-02-11T13:00:00Z

    Image: Title: SargentiniThe European Union is pressing forward with its overhaul of anti-money laundering rules to clamp down on tax evasion and the financing of terrorism. The Council of the European Union signed off on the 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive, tightening due diligence and reporting requirements, creating registers of beneficial ...

  • Blog

    U.K. Court Orders Trials for Alstom Units in Bribery Case

    2015-02-04T12:00:00Z

    According to published reports, a Crown Court judge has ordered two jury trials for separate units of French conglomerate Alstom SA and is holding out the possibility of a third trial as the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office continues its investigation. The Alstom subsidiaries, and four former employees, are accused of ...

  • Blog

    EU Cracking Down on Abuse of Parent-Subsidiary Rules

    2015-01-28T12:30:00Z

    Image: The European Union has amended its parent-subsidiary directive to prevent national tax authorities from granting benefits to a corporation if its tax arrangement is determined to be not reflective of the company’s economic reality. Initially intended to prevent parent corporations from being taxed twice on profits made by subsidiaries ...

  • Blog

    U.K. Financial Watchdog Will Keep Sharp Eye on Compliance Lapses

    2015-01-28T12:15:00Z

    News coming from the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority indicates the three-year-old regulator is going to enhance its vigilance of bribery and other financial crimes while keeping close tabs on companies’ controls and processes, according to articles in the Financial Times and FCPA Blog. The FCPA Blog noted that the ...

  • Blog

    U.K. Regulator Places Corporate Culture at Heart of Compliance

    2015-01-21T13:30:00Z

    Image: Title: BischoffWith the recent release of an annual report detailing compliance gains, the head of Britain’s Financial Reporting Council called on boards to tackle the complex issue of corporate culture to ensure ethical corporate behavior. FRC Chairman Sir Winfried Bischoff said his agency this year will delve into how ...

  • Blog

    Survey: Cyber-Threats a Growing Concern for European Risk Managers

    2015-01-21T11:15:00Z

    Image: Title: HirsWhile traditional risks due to business interruption and the supply chain remain risk managers’ top concern, cyber-risks are moving up the list, particularly in some European countries. Allianz SE’s Risk Barometer 2015 showed cyber-risks cracked the top five concerns globally for the first time, up from 8th last ...

  • Blog

    EU Bankers Bristle Against ‘Unjustified’ Proposed Structural Changes

    2015-01-14T12:45:00Z

    Image: Jan. 14—Bankers in the European Union have received support for their continued opposition to the European Commission’s bid to mandate structural changes to the bloc’s biggest banks. The proposal would force some of the biggest banks to stop proprietary trading or split off certain trading activities from deposit-taking activities. ...

  • Blog

    EU Insurance Sector Ramping Up to Meet New Regime

    2015-01-14T12:15:00Z

    Image: Jan. 14—Insurers are finally preparing to meet solvency requirements passed nearly six years ago. Member states have until the end of March to transpose the Solvency II Directive into national law, with insurers starting to seek approval in April for their models used to calculate capital requirements. A recent ...

  • Blog

    New Year, New Headaches for France’s Alstom

    2015-01-07T13:30:00Z

    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

    2015-01-07T11:30:00Z

    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

    U.K. Stress Tests Show Few Capital Hiccups, Improved Resiliency

    2014-12-17T12:15:00Z

    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

    2014-12-17T12:00:00Z

    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

    U.K. Financial Regulator Sharpening Focus With New Structure

    2014-12-10T11:45:00Z

    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

    2014-12-03T12:30:00Z

    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, ...