The European Banking Authority (EBA) today outlines the way forward for the finalisation of proposals to simplify EU supervisory reporting, following extensive dialogue with the banking industry and feedback received during the public consultation. The package that is currently being finalised will introduce…
AI Analysis
The EBA has announced material changes to its proposed revision of the supervisory reporting ITS after consultation feedback, including additional template reductions, greater proportionality, lower reporting frequencies and delayed implementation. The first reference date for new requirements is postponed to December 2027, while liquidity, asset encumbrance, supervisory benchmarking and ESG reporting changes are deferred to December 2028; independent industry analysis characterises the package as a broad reform that also integrates CRR3, CRD6, IFRS 18, market-risk and ESG reporting requirements.
Key dates
2026-11-06
EBA publishes its policy statement on the post-consultation direction of the supervisory reporting simplification package.
2026-12-01
EBA is expected to publish the final report on the draft ITS package; the precise publication date was not specified.
2026-12-31
EBA expects to publish guidance on designing and making supervisory and resolution data requests by the end of 2026; the precise date was not specified.
2027-01-01
Firms should take into account the EBA consideration on application of the FRTB from this date during the transition.
2027-01-01
The EU-wide public repository of supervisory and resolution data requests is expected to become operational during Q1 2027; the precise date was not specified.
2027-06-30
The EBA expects to present further proposals on reporting change management in the first half of 2027; the precise date was not specified.
2027-12-01 Deadline
First reference date for the new supervisory reporting requirements, subject to finalisation, Commission adoption and the precise legal text; the announcement specifies December 2027 but not a day.
2028-12-01 Deadline
Expected reference period for deferred liquidity, asset-encumbrance, supervisory-benchmarking and ESG reporting changes; the announcement specifies December 2028 but not a day.
Suggested considerations
Firms should continue submitting currently applicable supervisory reporting templates until the revised ITS and technical package are legally adopted and applicable, rather than treating the announced simplifications as immediately effective.
Compliance and regulatory-reporting teams may wish to preserve existing reporting processes for operational-risk losses while removing or suppressing only data affected by the new granular operational-risk taxonomy, consistently with transition instructions.
Institutions participating in credit-risk or IFRS 9 benchmarking should continue using the 2026 ITS on supervisory benchmarking reporting during the transition and confirm whether they remain within the relevant benchmarking population.
Firms should assess the impact of the 1 January 2027 FRTB implementation position on reporting, capital, data lineage and systems, including whether existing interpretations need to be revised once the EBA consideration is final.
Reporting owners should maintain separate implementation workstreams for requirements expected from December 2027 and deferred areas expected from December 2028, including liquidity, asset encumbrance, benchmarking and ESG reporting.
Firms should monitor the EBA final ITS report in December 2026, the Commission adoption process and the technical package expected in early 2027, including the data point model, taxonomies and validation rules.
Institutions may wish to inventory national and supervisory data requests and identify duplicative submissions in anticipation of the EBA data-request guidance and EU-wide repository.
Change-management plans should account for possible revisions to templates, frequencies, thresholds, validation rules, reporting ownership and consolidated-level data aggregation once the final technical package is available.
What changed
The final package, scheduled for publication in December 2026, will further simplify reporting templates, reduce collateral, stress-testing and ESG data, remove selected reporting thresholds, reduce reporting frequencies and align reporting more closely with disclosure requirements. Credit-risk and IFRS 9 benchmarking reporting will be integrated into the supervisory reporting framework, with streamlined IFRS 9 requirements and greater emphasis on consolidated-level reporting.
Compliance impact
The announcement reduces near-term implementation pressure but creates a significant systems, data-governance and change-management programme for banks and other institutions within the ITS scope. Existing reporting obligations remain operative during the transition, and non-compliance with current templates, benchmarking submissions or applicable interim requirements may still create supervisory risk; the EBA expects the final package to reduce reporting costs while preserving information needed for effective supervision.
The SFC has concluded its consultation on expanding restrictions under section 34 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (SFO) and introducing parallel restrictions under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO) for misleading names used by unregulated entities. The proposals are not yet binding: the SFC intends to finalise an amendment bill for Legislative Council approval, but the revised framework would materially increase naming, branding and association-risk for unlicensed exchanges, clearing operations and virtual asset trading platforms (VATPs).
Key dates
2025-06-12
The SFC launched the consultation on expanding section 34 of the SFO and introducing similar restrictions under the AMLO.
2025-08-11
The consultation period closed; the SFC reported receiving nine submissions from industry associations, professional bodies, a bank and other interested parties.
2026-11-06
The SFC published its consultation conclusions, updated the FAQs and announced its intention to introduce an amendment bill into LegCo.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to inventory legal-entity names, business names, brands, websites, domains, mobile applications, social-media handles, product names and marketing descriptions against the SFC's proposed Table A and Table B titles.
Firms should consider mapping each relevant name to the activities actually performed, including trading, brokerage, matching, exchange, clearing, settlement, custody and virtual-asset services, and documenting whether SFO or AMLO licensing could be required.
Unregulated entities may wish to assess whether current names imply SFC licensing, regulated status or an association with a well-known exchange, clearing house or VATP, including through abbreviations, translated names and closely resembling wording.
Licensed VATPs and financial groups may wish to review whether group-company names, partnerships, white-label arrangements, sponsorships or marketing references could create an apparent association with an established operation that does not exist.
Legal and compliance functions may wish to monitor the amendment bill, LegCo proceedings, commencement provisions, transitional arrangements, the final restricted-title list and any future mechanism for updating that list.
Firms considering a new name or business launch may wish to obtain independent Hong Kong legal advice and, where appropriate, seek SFC authorisation before adopting a potentially restricted title; the SFC has not announced a final application deadline or commencement date.
Marketing and financial-promotion controls may be updated to require enhanced review of terms such as "exchange", "trading platform", "clearing house", "virtual asset", "digital asset", "token" and "crypto" once the amendments are enacted.
What changed
The SFC will proceed with legislative amendments to expand the existing section 34 SFO restrictions beyond titles such as "stock exchange" and "commodity exchange". The expanded scope is intended to cover titles commonly used instead of "exchange", titles describing SFO-regulated products, titles referring specifically to clearing operations, and names or acronyms implying association with established or well-known exchanges, clearing houses, VATPs or similar operations, whether located in Hong Kong or elsewhere and whether regulated or unregulated.
Compliance impact
The publication does not itself create an immediate new naming offence because the SFO and AMLO amendments still require drafting, LegCo approval and commencement. Once enacted, use of a restricted title without the required SFC authority or reasonable excuse may expose an entity to criminal consequences under the SFO, while the parallel AMLO regime would create equivalent risk for relevant VATP and non-securities virtual-asset terminology; the principal practical impact is likely to be forced rebranding, delayed launches, regulatory scrutiny and heightened misrepresentation risk.
Our final Binding Technical Standards and EMIR questions and answers implementing the Treasury’s reform to intragroup transactions, alongside changes to reduce burdens on counterparties. ... Read PS26/21What we are changingOn 21 October 2026, the Treasury published the Over-the-Counter Derivatives (Intragroup…
AI Analysis
The FCA has finalised Binding Technical Standards and EMIR Q&As implementing HM Treasury’s permanent reform of the UK EMIR intragroup exemption regime. From 1 January 2027, qualifying intragroup OTC derivative transactions may benefit from clearing and bilateral-margin exemptions without relying on third-country equivalence, while the notification process changes from FCA approval to notification with a 30-calendar-day non-objection period for relevant overseas transactions.
Key dates
2025-11-05
FCA consultation CP25/30 opened on streamlining the UK EMIR intragroup regime.
2026-01-16
FCA consultation closed.
2026-10-21
HM Treasury made the Over-the-Counter Derivatives (Intragroup Transactions) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/1117).
2026-11-02
FCA published PS26/21, final BTS and related EMIR Q&A changes.
2026-12-05 Deadline
FCA-recommended date by which firms seeking new exemptions under the current regime should submit complete notifications to support processing before transition.
2026-12-31 Deadline
Temporary Intragroup Exemption Regime expires.
2027-01-01 Deadline
The permanent streamlined intragroup regime takes effect; new notifications must use the Connect process and relevant overseas exemptions operate subject to the 30-calendar-day FCA non-objection period.
Suggested considerations
Firms should inventory all existing UK EMIR intragroup clearing and margin exemptions, identify whether each exemption remains effective immediately before 2027-01-01, and retain evidence that the Article 3 group, consolidation and centralised risk-control conditions remain satisfied.
Firms currently relying on TIGER should assess the transitional conditions and document the basis on which each exemption will continue after 2026-12-31; firms should not assume that grandfathering expands the scope of an existing exemption.
Counterparties seeking a new exemption before 2027-01-01 should consider submitting a complete notification under the current process before 2026-12-05 so that the FCA can process it before the temporary regime expires.
Firms expecting to submit a notification between 2026-12-05 and 2026-12-31 should contact the FCA promptly regarding transition arrangements, particularly where the notification may not be processed before year-end.
From 2027-01-01, firms seeking exemptions for UK-to-overseas or overseas-to-overseas intragroup transactions should use the new Connect notification process and allow for the FCA’s 30-calendar-day objection period, calculated from receipt of a complete notification.
Compliance teams may wish to update policies, notification templates, controls and legal opinions to reflect the removal of the equivalence prerequisite, the material-impediment test for margin exemptions, the removal of public disclosure, and the revised evidence requirements.
Firms should review existing public disclosures and websites for margin-exemption information and consider whether information made unnecessary by the new regime should be removed or retained for audit-trail purposes.
Derivatives, legal and operations teams should reconcile the final FCA BTS with the Treasury SI and identify any changes to transaction documentation, exemption registers, counterparty representations and regulatory reporting procedures.
What changed
The Over-the-Counter Derivatives (Intragroup Transactions) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/1117), made on 21 October 2026, amend Article 3 of UK EMIR so that an intragroup transaction may involve entities in any jurisdiction, provided both counterparties are in the same group, included in the same consolidation on a full basis, and subject to appropriate centralised risk evaluation, measurement and control procedures. The reform removes the dependence of permanent intragroup exemptions on an Article 13 UK EMIR equivalence decision.
Compliance impact
The change is materially beneficial for firms with cross-border intragroup derivatives because it removes equivalence dependence, shortens the FCA process from an approval period of up to three months to a 30-day non-objection period, and provides continuity for existing TIGER exemptions. Compliance risk remains significant because an exemption depends on complete notification, continuing group and risk-management conditions, and correct transition analysis; failure to qualify could expose counterparties to mandatory clearing or bilateral-margin obligations under UK EMIR.
We have finalised rules to improve transparency and trust in the environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings market. ... Read PS26/22 (PDF)What we are changingFrom 29 June 2028, firms providing ESG ratings in the UK will need FCA authorisation and to have the relevant permission before carrying on that…
AI Analysis
The FCA has finalised the UK’s first regulatory regime for ESG rating providers under PS26/22. From 2028-06-29, in-scope firms must hold FCA authorisation and the relevant permission, with requirements covering transparency, governance, systems and controls, conflicts of interest, complaints and engagement with users and rated entities.
Key dates
2026-11-03
FCA publishes PS26/22 and final rules; the FEES amendment relating to the regime comes into force.
2027-02-01
FCA expects its Pre-Application Support Service for ESG rating authorisation applications to become available.
2027-06-24
FCA authorisation gateway opens for ESG rating providers.
2027-07-31 Deadline
Larger firms, defined by the FCA as firms expecting at least £500,000 of UK ESG-ratings revenue in the 12 months following application, should apply during the first month of the gateway, before the end of July 2027.
2027-08-31 Deadline
Other firms should apply during the second month of the gateway, by the end of August 2027.
2028-06-29 Deadline
The ESG ratings regime comes into force. In-scope providers must have FCA authorisation and the relevant permission unless an exclusion or exemption applies.
Suggested considerations
Firms should inventory every product, score, opinion, label, ranking, colour-coded category and platform output that assesses one or more environmental, social or governance factors, including products not marketed as ESG ratings.
Compliance teams may wish to apply the PERG 19 decision framework to each product: whether the activity is carried on by way of business, whether the firm produces and makes the rating available, whether investment decisions are likely to be influenced, the territorial connection, and whether an exclusion or exemption applies.
Firms should document the distinction between unranked ESG data and provider-produced ratings, including the methodology, default thresholds, categories and user-configurable outputs embedded in software or analytics platforms.
Potential applicants should identify the legal entity requiring permission, assess whether the activity is standalone or embedded in another regulated service, and prepare a regulatory business plan, governance map, resources assessment and threshold-conditions evidence.
Prospective applicants should use the FCA’s Pre-Application Support Service from February 2027 and consider submitting applications promptly after the 2027 gateway opens.
Larger firms should plan to submit applications during the first month of the gateway, before the end of July 2027, where forecast UK ESG-ratings revenue is at least £500,000 in the 12 months following application. Other firms should plan to apply during the second month, by the end of August 2027.
Firms should perform a gap analysis against PRIN, SYSC, SM&CR, GEN, DISP, ESG-sourcebook and financial-crime expectations, with particular attention to methodology governance, data quality, conflicts, complaints, records, outsourcing and senior-manager accountability.
Providers should review commercial terms, marketing and distribution arrangements to determine whether products could reasonably be expected to influence specified investment decisions, including where outputs are supplied through third-party financial platforms.
What changed
Providing an ESG rating becomes a regulated activity under article 63U of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001, as amended by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) (ESG Ratings) Order 2025. The activity generally requires a provider to produce and make available an opinion, score or combination based on an established methodology and defined ranking system, where the rating is likely to influence a decision to make a specified investment.
Compliance impact
This is a high-impact final rule for providers because carrying on the regulated activity without the required permission after 2028-06-29 breaches the FSMA general prohibition and constitutes a criminal offence. Firms that miss the applicable application window, withdraw an application or are refused will be unable to take on new business after commencement and may need to wind down the activity, while timely applicants whose applications remain undecided may continue under the statutory transitional arrangements.
Japan submitted a comment letter dated 2026-10-28 on EFRAG's ESRS-40a Exposure Draft, supporting interoperability with ISSB-aligned jurisdictional standards while seeking clearer treatment of disclosures not covered by ISSB Standards and an additional reporting option focused on EU-related impacts. The publication does not itself create binding requirements, but it signals that implementation design, reporting perimeter and top-up disclosures remain contested before ESRS-40a is finalised for in-scope non-EU groups.
Key dates
2026-07-23
EFRAG published the ESRS-40a Exposure Draft and opened a 100-day public consultation.
2026-10-28
The Government of Japan dated its comment letter on the ESRS-40a Exposure Draft.
2026-10-31 Deadline
EFRAG's public consultation on the ESRS-40a Exposure Draft closes.
2027-01-01
EFRAG is expected to deliver technical advice on ESRS-40a to the European Commission.
2028-01-01
The first financial years to which the proposed Article 40a reporting framework is expected to apply are expected to begin on or after this date, subject to adoption of the final rules.
2029-01-01
The first ESRS-40a reports are generally expected to be published in 2029 for financial years beginning on or after 2028-01-01, subject to the final delegated act and applicable publication timing.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to map group and EU-entity turnover against the Article 40a thresholds, using the preceding financial year for the EUR 200 million subsidiary or branch test and each of the preceding two financial years for the EUR 450 million EU-turnover test.
In-scope groups should monitor the outcome of the EFRAG consultation, the expected January 2027 technical advice and the European Commission's subsequent delegated act before treating any ESRS-40a exposure-draft provision as final.
Reporting teams should compare existing ISSB-aligned or jurisdictionally mandated sustainability reporting with the ESRS-40a requirements and identify likely top-ups, particularly disclosures not covered by ISSB Standards.
Groups may wish to model the data, governance and assurance consequences of global reporting, the proposed mixed approach and Japan's suggested EU-impact-focused alternative.
EU subsidiaries and branches should clarify with their non-EU parent whether the reporting obligation will be met through an incorporated group report, an ESRS-40a report or another permitted equivalent, including arrangements for publication, accessibility and assurance.
Stakeholders wishing to influence the final standard should consider submitting comments to EFRAG by the consultation deadline, including evidence on duplicative disclosures, EU-impact scoping and interoperability with ISSB-aligned standards.
What changed
The Government of Japan proposed that EFRAG clarify which ESRS-40a disclosure requirements would remain as top-ups where a non-EU group incorporates by reference a group sustainability report prepared under jurisdictionally mandated standards functionally aligned with ISSB Standards. Japan also proposed adding an alternative to the Exposure Draft's mixed approach that would reduce the reporting burden on non-EU companies while requiring reporting of all EU-related impacts. The Exposure Draft itself is a consultation proposal rather than a final binding standard.
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is preparatory rather than mandatory because the JFSA publication communicates Japan's negotiating position on an EFRAG exposure draft. If adopted broadly as proposed, Article 40a would create material sustainability-reporting, data-aggregation, governance, publication and potentially assurance obligations for qualifying non-EU groups through their EU subsidiaries or branches; the main unresolved compliance issues are the scope of ISSB top-ups and whether reporting can be limited to EU-related impacts.
MMF Asset management Cooperation The AMF publishes its recommendations on the liquidity of Money Market Funds
AI Analysis
The AMF has finalized Recommendation DOC-2026-07 on money market fund liquidity, following its 8 June 2026 consultation and coordinated work with Ireland and Luxembourg. The recommendation introduces supervisory market-resilience reference levels above the binding MMFR minima: 20% weekly liquid assets (WLA) for VNAV MMFs and 40% for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs, with notification and escalation expectations where breaches persist or are expected to be prolonged or significant.
Key dates
2026-06-08
The AMF launched its public consultation on the draft recommendation on MMF liquidity.
2026-10-30
The AMF published final Recommendation DOC-2026-07 on liquidity management for money market funds.
Suggested considerations
Consider mapping each affected MMF’s current and stressed WLA against both the applicable MMFR minimum and the AMF market-resilience reference level of 20% or 40%.
Consider documenting fund-specific liquidity calibration, including investor concentration, expected redemption patterns, dealing frequency, portfolio composition, currency exposure and market-liquidity assumptions, rather than relying only on a static WLA benchmark.
Consider reviewing liquidity-risk dashboards and escalation triggers so that a fall below the relevant resilience level is identified promptly and escalated through strengthened internal governance.
Consider establishing a documented process to determine when a breach has persisted for 10 business days and when a prolonged or significant deviation is reasonably anticipated.
Consider preparing an AMF notification package containing the duration and scale of the deviation, its causes, remedial measures, portfolio and investor-liquidity analysis, and relevant stress-test results.
Consider reviewing stress-testing scenarios and management information to ensure they support decisions to use or rebuild liquidity buffers without automatically activating liquidity-management tools solely because the resilience level is breached.
Consider confirming that policies distinguish the AMF supervisory resilience levels from the binding 15% and 30% MMFR WLA minima and identify the different consequences of each threshold.
Consider monitoring coordinated guidance from the Central Bank of Ireland, Luxembourg’s CSSF and the UK FCA because comparable 20% and 40% reference levels may affect cross-border group governance and supervisory expectations.
What changed
The AMF expects VNAV MMFs generally to maintain at least 20% WLA, compared with the 15% statutory minimum under Regulation (EU) 2017/1131 on money market funds (MMFR). Public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs are expected generally to maintain at least 40% WLA, compared with the 30% MMFR minimum. These are supervisory market-resilience levels rather than new statutory MMFR minimums. Where a fund falls sustainably below the relevant level, its management company is expected to apply heightened liquidity-risk vigilance, rapid escalation procedures and strengthened internal decision-making.
Compliance impact
The publication does not replace or increase the binding MMFR minimum WLA requirements of 15% for VNAV MMFs and 30% for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs, but it creates clear supervisory expectations above those minima. Persistent or anticipated material breaches may lead to mandatory AMF notification, enhanced supervisory engagement and scrutiny of liquidity-risk governance, escalation and stress testing.
The Central Bank of Ireland published its CP168 Feedback Statement and final Guidance on Money Market Fund Weekly Liquid Asset levels on 30 October 2026. The Guidance confirms supervisory expectations that Irish-authorised money market funds maintain higher market-resilience WLA levels than the statutory minima under Regulation (EU) 2017/1131, with enhanced vigilance and supervisory engagement where those levels are approached or breached.
Key dates
2026-06-08
The Central Bank published Consultation Paper CP168 on Guidance on Money Market Fund Weekly Liquid Asset levels.
2026-08-03 Deadline
The consultation period for CP168 closed.
2026-10-30
The Central Bank published the CP168 Feedback Statement and final Guidance on Money Market Fund Weekly Liquid Asset levels.
Suggested considerations
Firms should assess each affected fund's current and projected WLA against the 40% resilience level for Public Debt CNAV and LVNAV funds and the 20% level for VNAV funds.
MMF managers may wish to update liquidity-risk frameworks, liquidity monitoring, stress-testing assumptions, escalation triggers and board or risk-committee reporting to reflect the resilience levels.
Compliance and risk teams should document how temporary movements below a resilience level will be assessed in the context of the fund's overall liquidity position, redemption profile, asset liquidity and market conditions.
Managers should establish or validate procedures for prompt escalation and notification to the Central Bank where WLA remains below the applicable resilience level for more than 10 business days or where a prolonged or substantial deviation is anticipated.
Firms should retain evidence supporting WLA calculations, stress-test outputs, escalation decisions, explanations for deviations and communications with the Central Bank.
Fund managers may wish to review liquidity-related disclosures and prospectus language, although independent commentary indicates that the Guidance is primarily expected to require internal liquidity-management changes rather than prospectus amendments.
Irish MMF managers should monitor related developments from the European Commission, ESMA, the French AMF and Luxembourg CSSF because the Guidance forms part of a coordinated European supervisory approach.
What changed
The Guidance expects Public Debt Constant Net Asset Value (CNAV) and Low Volatility Net Asset Value (LVNAV) money market funds to maintain weekly liquid assets (WLA) at a market-resilience level of 40%, and Variable Net Asset Value (VNAV) money market funds to maintain WLA at 20%. These levels exceed the minimum WLA requirements in Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1131, which are generally 30% for Public Debt CNAV and LVNAV funds and 15% for VNAV funds.
Compliance impact
The impact is material for MMF managers because the supervisory resilience levels are 10 percentage points above the statutory WLA minimum for Public Debt CNAV and LVNAV funds and 5 percentage points above it for VNAV funds. Although the Guidance does not itself amend Regulation (EU) 2017/1131, failure to manage, escalate or explain deviations may result in increased Central Bank supervisory scrutiny and engagement.
The title identifies this as the CSSF's answer to a public consultation submitted by J.P. Morgan Asset Management (Europe) SARL, which supports the policy_statement type and the Investment Management sector.
The title identifies the CSSF's answer to an EFAMA public consultation, which indicates a regulator position statement on an investment-fund matter, so Investment Management and Asset Manager are supported. The body contains no substantive content and the consultation subject is not stated, so the topic is General.
CSSF published IMMFA’s response to its consultation on enhanced weekly liquid asset (WLA) levels for money market funds, alongside final guidance issued on 30 October 2026. The guidance uses market-resilience benchmarks of 20% WLA for VNAV MMFs and 40% for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs, increasing supervisory attention where funds remain below those levels even though the benchmarks do not replace the statutory MMFR minima.
Key dates
2026-05-11
European Commission published its report on the adequacy of the MMFR and identified market-resilience WLA levels of 20% for VNAV MMFs and 40% for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs.
2026-06-08
CSSF launched its consultation on Guidance on Money Market Fund Weekly Liquid Asset Levels.
2026-08-03 Deadline
Deadline for stakeholders to submit responses to the CSSF consultation.
2026-10-30
CSSF published the IMMFA consultation response and final guidance, and announced a three-month implementation period.
Suggested considerations
Firms should classify each affected MMF by VNAV, public debt CNAV or LVNAV status and map the applicable 20% or 40% WLA resilience benchmark against the existing 15% or 30% MMFR minimum.
MMF managers should update liquidity-risk policies, escalation thresholds, management information and governance records to evidence enhanced vigilance when WLA approaches or falls below the relevant benchmark.
Risk teams should incorporate the 20% and 40% benchmarks into Article 28 MMFR stress-testing and assess whether investor concentration, redemption behaviour, market liquidity and portfolio composition require liquidity materially above the benchmark.
Firms should establish controls to identify periods exceeding 10 business days below the applicable benchmark and procedures for timely CSSF notification, including documented explanations, justifications and any relevant Article 28(4) or (5) remedial measures.
Boards and senior management should review whether the three-month implementation period announced by CSSF requires changes to investment guidelines, liquidity buffers, breach escalation and reporting calendars.
Compliance teams may wish to document that the resilience benchmarks are supervisory reference points rather than replacements for the MMFR statutory ratios, while recognising the CSSF’s stated intention to increase supervisory engagement for prolonged deviations.
Firms should monitor cross-border consistency with the parallel supervisory approaches of the French AMF and Central Bank of Ireland, particularly where groups manage MMFs in multiple EU jurisdictions.
What changed
The CSSF has finalised guidance, following the consultation that closed on 3 August 2026, with only slight clarifications. MMF managers are expected to incorporate 20% WLA for VNAV MMFs and 40% WLA for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs into liquidity-risk frameworks and Article 28 stress-testing processes. These benchmarks sit above the existing Regulation (EU) 2017/1131 minimum WLA requirements of 15% for VNAV MMFs and 30% for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs.
Compliance impact
The publication materially raises supervisory expectations for MMF liquidity management and creates a potential notification and supervisory-engagement trigger after more than 10 business days below the relevant resilience benchmark. Although it does not amend the binding MMFR minimum ratios, persistent underperformance may lead to increased CSSF scrutiny, requiring robust evidence of escalation, stress testing, governance and liquidity-management decisions.
The title indicates a response to a consultation, which fits policy_statement. The body contains only the title, and the surrounding headlines (MFT, base prospectus filings, short selling platform, audit register, EBA/ESMA guidelines) and cookie banners are website navigation, so they were not used for tagging.
The title identifies a CSSF answer to a public consultation submitted by the Investment Company Institute, which supports a policy_statement classification and an investment management link.
The title identifies this as the CSSF's answer to a public consultation submitted by Amundi Asset Management, which fits the policy_statement type for responses to consultations. Amundi is an asset manager, so Investment Management is the only supported sector.
The title identifies a CSSF answer to a public consultation submitted by BNP Paribas Asset Management Luxembourg, which supports policy_statement and the Investment Management sector.
The title 'Answer to the public consultation' indicates a settled regulator response, so policy_statement fits. The Investment Management sector and Asset Manager firm type rest only on the named firm, Aberdeen Investments.
CSSF published ALFI’s response to its consultation on guidance for weekly liquid asset levels of money market funds (MMFs), alongside final guidance on 30 October 2026. The guidance introduces supervisory benchmarks of 20% weekly liquid assets (WLA) for variable net asset value (VNAV) MMFs and 40% for public debt constant net asset value (CNAV) and low volatility net asset value (LVNAV) MMFs; these are intended as resilience benchmarks rather than new statutory minimums, but persistent deviations can trigger notification and intensified CSSF scrutiny.
Key dates
2026-08-03 Deadline
Deadline for stakeholders to submit responses to the CSSF consultation on the proposed MMF WLA guidance.
2026-10-30
CSSF published the final MMF WLA guidance, feedback statement and consultation responses, including ALFI’s response.
Suggested considerations
Firms should classify each in-scope MMF as VNAV, public debt CNAV or LVNAV and map the applicable 20% or 40% WLA resilience benchmark against the fund’s existing 15% or 30% MMFR minimum.
MMF managers should review liquidity risk-management frameworks, redemption assumptions, escalation thresholds, governance documentation and management-information reporting to demonstrate how the relevant benchmark is considered as a risk-management reference point rather than treated automatically as a statutory minimum.
Managers should incorporate the 20% and 40% benchmarks into Article 28 MMFR stress-testing methodology, scenario analysis and board or governing-body reporting, while documenting fund-specific reasons for maintaining lower or higher WLA levels where appropriate.
Firms should establish reliable daily monitoring of WLA, a process for identifying periods exceeding 10 business days below the relevant benchmark, and controls for escalating prolonged or substantial deviations to senior management and the CSSF.
Compliance teams may wish to prepare the information expected in a CSSF notification, including the duration and magnitude of the deviation, its cause, investor and redemption characteristics, stress-test results, liquidity-management actions and the rationale for the manager’s response.
Boards and depositaries should review whether oversight records, challenge processes and valuation or liquidity controls adequately address the potential supervisory consequences of persistent benchmark breaches.
Firms should assess the interaction with Circular CSSF 26/911 and the 2025 ESMA MMF stress-test guidelines, which apply to CSSF-supervised MMFs and Luxembourg managers from the 30 June 2026 reporting date onward.
Managers should avoid presenting the resilience benchmarks to investors as amended legal minimums unless the fund’s governing documents, disclosures or risk limits separately require that treatment; market commentary from respondents indicated concern that the 10-business-day trigger could operate as a de facto limit in practice.
What changed
The final guidance retains the European Commission’s market-resilience WLA benchmarks: 20% for VNAV MMFs and 40% for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs. These levels sit above the Money Market Funds Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/1131) minimum WLA requirements of 15% for VNAV MMFs and 30% for public debt CNAV and LVNAV MMFs; the existing daily liquid asset minimums remain 7.5% and 10%, respectively.
Compliance impact
The measure does not create new statutory MMFR liquidity minima, but it creates clear supervisory expectations around liquidity monitoring, stress testing, escalation and CSSF engagement. A failure to explain a WLA level below 20% or 40% for more than 10 business days may lead to increased supervisory scrutiny and could expose weaknesses in the fund’s liquidity-risk governance or Article 28 stress-testing framework.
ESMA proposes simpler EU Taxonomy reporting 29 October 2026 Issuer disclosure Sustainable finance The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has published its Final Report providing technical advice to the European Commission on simplifying key…
AI Analysis
ESMA submitted technical advice to the European Commission on 29 October 2026 proposing targeted simplifications to the EU Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act. The advice would narrow the mandatory OpEx KPI to non-capitalised R&D expenditure, remove the weighted-average group KPI and simplify several undertaking, group and asset-manager disclosures, but it is not itself binding; the existing rules continue to apply unless and until the Commission amends the Delegated Act.
Key dates
2026-03-04
The European Commission issued its call for technical advice to the European Supervisory Authorities on targeted simplification of the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act.
2026-07-01
ESMA launched its consultation on selected Taxonomy KPIs and proposed simplification measures.
2026-08-12 Deadline
ESMA’s consultation period closed.
2026-10-29
ESMA submitted its Final Report and technical advice to the European Commission for consideration in the review of the Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams should continue applying the currently effective Taxonomy Regulation and Taxonomy Disclosures Delegated Act until any Commission amendment enters into force.
Firms should monitor the Commission’s review of the Disclosures Delegated Act and assess any subsequent delegated act, scrutiny period, entry-into-force date and transitional provisions before changing reporting controls.
Corporate reporting teams may wish to model the effect of an R&D-only mandatory OpEx KPI, including the IAS 38 or national-GAAP population, numerator mapping and interaction with existing materiality reliefs.
Groups should inventory parent and subsidiary business lines, assess whether secondary businesses could exceed a cumulative 10% consolidated-turnover threshold, and prepare for possible parent-regime and simplified secondary-business templates.
Asset managers and other financial undertakings should avoid treating the proposed absence of voluntary OpEx reporting as current law and should document the basis for any voluntary Taxonomy metrics under existing disclosure and anti-greenwashing controls.
Issuers and sustainability-reporting teams should review sustainable-bond, internal-sales, contextual-information and CapEx Type C data processes so they can adapt if the Commission adopts ESMA’s recommendations.
Reporting governance should track whether any future voluntary alternative metric is reconciled to the mandatory KPI and subject to applicable ESMA Guidelines on Alternative Performance Measures.
What changed
ESMA recommends that the mandatory Article 8 Taxonomy Regulation OpEx KPI focus on non-capitalised R&D expenditure, with the denominator based on expenditure recognised under IAS 38 or relevant national GAAP and the numerator drawn from the existing Annex I categories. It does not recommend introducing a mandatory voluntary OpEx+ metric, and advises against allowing financial undertakings, including asset managers, to use an OpEx KPI voluntarily for Taxonomy disclosures.
Compliance impact
The immediate legal impact is limited because ESMA’s final report is technical advice rather than a binding amendment, and the Commission has not yet adopted revised disclosure rules. The practical impact could be material for Taxonomy reporting architecture, group consolidation, KPI data lineage and sustainability-reporting controls if the Commission adopts the recommendations; market commentary indicates that the Commission was expected to complete its review around Q1 2027, with possible application of new measures around Q3 2027, but those dates are not established deadlines in ESMA’s...
The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published its response to the European Commission’s Call for Technical Advice on certain key performance indicators (KPIs) and other aspects of the Disclosures Delegated Act under Article 8 of the Taxonomy Regulation. The EBA advises on targeted changes to streamline disclosure…
AI Analysis
On 29 October 2026, the EBA submitted technical advice to the European Commission proposing targeted simplifications to Article 8 Taxonomy disclosures for credit institutions and investment firms. The advice is not itself binding law; its practical significance is that it may shape the Commission’s forthcoming review of the Disclosures Delegated Act, with market commentary highlighting potential reductions in KPI and template burdens but also uncertainty until the Commission adopts amendments.
Key dates
2026-03-04
The European Commission requested technical advice from the ESAs on the review of Article 8 Taxonomy disclosures.
2026-10-29
The EBA published its final technical advice and submitted its report to the European Commission.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams should treat the publication as forward-looking technical advice and should not cease reporting the Fees and Commissions KPI, Trading Book KPI or other existing disclosures unless and until the Commission adopts applicable amendments or transitional measures.
Firms should map current Taxonomy data lineage, controls, templates and calculation logic against each proposed change so that implementation can be accelerated if the Commission follows the EBA advice.
Banking groups should assess how parent-level KPIs and material secondary-activity KPIs could affect consolidation methodologies, entity-level data ownership and audit trails.
Investment firms should inventory fees, commissions and other services currently included in the relevant KPIs, particularly capital-markets-related services, and model the effect of the proposed narrower approach.
Credit institutions should review Green Asset Ratio template production and identify duplicated or low-value data points that may be removed or harmonised in a future delegated act.
Firms should monitor the Commission’s review of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2178, the related Omnibus simplification measures and any final ESA or Commission guidance before updating policies, public disclosures or regulatory reporting systems.
Legal and regulatory-change teams may wish to engage with the Commission consultation or legislative process and preserve evidence supporting current reporting interpretations during the transition.
What changed
The EBA recommends removing the Fees and Commissions KPI and the Trading Book KPI from Taxonomy disclosure requirements. It proposes simplifying the investment firms’ other-services KPI, including capital-markets-related services, and aligning grandfathering provisions with Regulation (EU) 2023/2631 on European Green Bonds, but only for bonds issued under that Regulation. The EBA advises against introducing the operational expenditure KPI of non-financial undertakings into financial undertakings’ KPI calculations.
Compliance impact
The immediate compliance impact is limited because the EBA advice does not amend the Taxonomy Regulation or the Disclosures Delegated Act and does not create a new filing deadline. The potential medium-term impact is material for banks, investment firms and groups because final Commission amendments could remove KPIs, alter group calculations and reduce or redesign disclosure templates; until then, firms should maintain applicable reporting and controls.
Financing arrangements for individual-owned PHCs to be subject to 60% or 70% LTV limit and 7-year tenure cap
AI Analysis
MAS announced that, from 30 October 2026, individual-owned private hire cars will no longer benefit from the previous exemption from Singapore’s motor vehicle financing restrictions. Individual buyers, including sole proprietors, will face a 70% or 60% maximum LTV and a seven-year tenure cap, closing a financing loophole that authorities associate with approximately 500 individual-owned self-drive PHC registrations per month.
Key dates
2026-10-29
MAS published the policy statement announcing the extension of motor vehicle financing restrictions to individual-owned PHCs.
2026-10-30 Deadline
New restrictions take effect for individual-owned PHC purchases where the sales agreement is signed on or after this date; where there is no sales agreement, they apply if the COE is obtained on or after this date.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams at affected lenders should update eligibility, LTV and tenure controls so that individual-owned PHCs are treated as private cars for transactions falling within the effective-date tests.
Firms should confirm that the LTV calculation uses the full purchase price, including relevant taxes and the COE price where applicable, and that the OMV threshold is applied at $20,000.
Lenders and finance providers should review onboarding and documentation controls to distinguish individual or sole-proprietor ownership from business-owned PHC ownership and to evidence the sales-agreement or COE date.
Providers should assess pending applications, approvals, hire-purchase agreements and conditional sales near the 30 October 2026 transition point, including whether any transaction was restructured to avoid the new restrictions.
Car dealers and platform operators should consider updating customer disclosures, application workflows and referral arrangements so that individual buyers are not presented with financing terms inconsistent with the new limits.
Firms should review dealer, leasing and in-house financing products for potential regulatory perimeter or circumvention risk, particularly because the Government has indicated that it may apply equivalent restrictions to additional arrangements.
Compliance teams may wish to monitor MAS and Government follow-up, including implementation guidance and any measures affecting in-house loans or platform-operated financing channels.
Firms should consider controls and customer communications addressing unregulated leasing, lease-to-own or other arrangements that may be marketed as alternatives to regulated motor vehicle financing.
What changed
For an individual-owned PHC with an OMV of $20,000 or below, the maximum LTV is 70% of the purchase price, including relevant taxes and the COE price where applicable. For an OMV above $20,000, the maximum LTV is 60%; financing tenure is capped at seven years in both cases. The restrictions apply to motor vehicle loans provided by financial institutions and licensed or exempt moneylenders, and to hire-purchase and conditional sale agreements.
Compliance impact
The change creates an immediate product, underwriting and transaction-classification obligation for lenders and finance providers serving individual PHC buyers, with potential customer, conduct and circumvention risks if systems continue to permit the former exemption. Industry reporting characterises the measure as closing a car-loan loophole; existing loans are not identified as being retrospectively affected, while business-owned PHCs and motorcycles remain outside scope.
On October 28, 2026, the FOMC voted 10-2 to maintain the federal funds target range at 3.75% to 4.00% while continuing its ample-reserves operating framework. The decision is operationally significant for banks, broker-dealers, lenders, asset managers and other firms exposed to short-term rates because inflation remains elevated, two voting members preferred a 25-basis-point hike, and market commentary points to a meaningful possibility of further tightening at the December meeting.
Key dates
2026-10-28
FOMC statement released; target federal funds range maintained at 3.75% to 4.00% and ample-reserves policy continued.
Suggested considerations
Compliance and risk teams may wish to record the October 28, 2026 target range of 3.75% to 4.00% and the 10-2 vote in regulatory change-management and market-risk records.
Firms should consider reviewing interest-rate, basis, liquidity and funding-risk limits against scenarios involving a further 25-basis-point increase, including a possible December 2026 hike suggested by independent market commentary.
Banks and other lenders may wish to assess the effect of persistently elevated rates on borrower affordability, refinancing risk, delinquency assumptions, fair-lending monitoring and customer communications.
Treasury and finance teams should consider validating the treatment of the unchanged policy rate in transfer-pricing, liquidity-stress, valuation, hedge-accounting and capital-planning models.
Broker-dealers, asset managers and leveraged funds may wish to reassess margin, collateral, redemption-liquidity and counterparty exposures under higher-for-longer rate scenarios.
Compliance teams should consider monitoring the forthcoming FOMC implementation note and subsequent Federal Reserve communications for any operational details affecting reserve management or money-market conditions.
Firms should consider documenting the distinction between this policy decision and a new regulatory rule: the statement contains no new prudential ratio, disclosure, reporting or customer-protection requirement.
What changed
The FOMC made no change to the federal funds target range, which remains 3.75% to 4.00%, and did not announce a change to its policy of maintaining ample reserves in the banking system. The statement upgraded its description of economic activity to expanding at a strong pace and characterized productivity growth and capital investment as strong or robust, while stating that inflation remains elevated. The Committee emphasized that it will assess additional information in determining the policy stance needed to return inflation to its 2% goal. Lisa D. Cook and Beth M.
Compliance impact
The direct compliance impact is low because the statement imposes no new binding obligation or firm-level threshold. The principal consequence is indirect: continued elevated funding costs, possible further tightening, and increased interest-rate, liquidity, credit, valuation and consumer-affordability risks that firms may need to reflect in existing risk-management and conduct frameworks.
The provided content contains only a title (Remit for the Monetary Policy Committee, October 2026) and website cookie-banner text, with no article body. The title suggests a settled policy instruction governing the MPC rather than a firm-facing rule, so policy_statement is the closest fit, though this is...
MiCA Regulatory developments Cooperation Europe & international Other professionals Fintech Investment services providers MiCA regulation revision: The French authorities publish their joint proposals
AI Analysis
On 2026-10-21, the French Treasury, AMF, Banque de France and ACPR submitted joint proposals to the European Commission's review of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA). The submission is not binding and does not amend MiCA, but it signals likely French priorities for future legislation: clearer boundaries with MiFID and payment-services rules, stronger ESMA supervision of significant crypto firms, tighter treatment of non-compliant stablecoins, and a regulated framework for DeFi, staking and crypto lending.
Key dates
2026-10-21
The French Treasury, AMF, Banque de France and ACPR published their joint response to the European Commission consultation on the MiCA review.
2026-09-30 Deadline
The European Commission consultation deadline identified in independent legal commentary; this date had passed before publication of the French authorities' response.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to maintain the existing MiCA control framework because this publication does not create an immediate amendment, authorisation requirement or prohibition.
Firms should consider mapping each token, service and distribution channel against the definitions and perimeter provisions of MiCA, MiFID II and payment-services legislation, with particular attention to products that could require more than one authorisation.
EU-authorised crypto-asset service providers should consider reviewing onboarding, asset-admission, execution, custody, trading and distribution controls for exposure to asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens that may not satisfy MiCA requirements.
Stablecoin issuers and groups using the same fungible token across EU and third-country markets should consider documenting issuance structures, reserve segregation, redemption rights, equivalence assumptions and supervisory-cooperation dependencies in anticipation of possible multi-issuance rules.
Significant crypto-asset service providers and crypto-conglomerates should consider assessing governance, prudential, group-risk and supervisory-reporting readiness for a possible future shift of direct or enhanced oversight toward ESMA.
Banks, payment firms and investment firms should consider assessing strategic opportunities and regulatory dependencies arising from euro-denominated e-money tokens and tokenised bank deposits without treating the French position as approval of any specific product.
DeFi, staking and crypto-lending businesses should consider identifying responsible intermediaries, documenting due-diligence controls and preserving evidence of protocol governance and risk assessments pending any future EU framework.
Industry participants may wish to monitor the Commission's MiCA review, subsequent legislative proposals, ESMA and EBA opinions, and national implementation developments before changing operating models.
What changed
No legal requirements changed on 2026-10-21. The French authorities proposed streamlining MiCA and clarifying when an activity falls under MiCA, the legislation governing financial instruments, or payment-services legislation, including where one business model could require multiple authorisations. They stated that a financial instrument should remain fully subject to the financial-instruments regime irrespective of the technology used for issuance or trading, and that the same principle should apply to payment instruments.
Compliance impact
The immediate compliance impact is low because the publication is a non-binding consultation response, not a regulation, delegated act, supervisory decision or enforcement measure. Its strategic significance is material: the proposals could expand supervisory centralisation, increase scrutiny of non-compliant stablecoins and bring currently uncertain DeFi, staking and lending activities into more explicit conduct, due-diligence and responsibility frameworks if adopted.
ESMA specifies requirements to facilitate safe use of post-trade risk reduction services 20 October 2026 Guidelines and Technical standards Post Trading The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has outlined the conditions that providers and users of…
AI Analysis
On 20 October 2026, ESMA published its final report specifying the requirements for post-trade risk reduction (PTRR) services to use the conditional exemption from the clearing obligation under EMIR 3. The framework is relevant to providers and users of OTC derivative compression, portfolio rebalancing and basis-risk-optimisation services, but the draft Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) will not apply as binding EU requirements until endorsed by the European Commission and subsequently brought into force.
Key dates
2026-10-20
ESMA published its final report on the RTS specifying requirements for PTRR services using the EMIR 3 clearing-obligation exemption.
Suggested considerations
PTRR providers should compare their existing compression, rebalancing and basis-risk-optimisation procedures with the final ESMA requirements, particularly participant disclosures, algorithm governance, execution controls, record retention and monitoring support.
Firms should identify OTC derivative transactions processed through PTRR services that are currently expected to rely on the EMIR 3 conditional clearing exemption and document the legal and operational basis for that treatment.
Compliance and legal teams may wish to review contracts, client disclosures and service descriptions to ensure that participants receive adequate information about the exercise, its methodology, expected outcomes and relevant risks.
Providers should consider preserving evidence that each exercise meets the applicable risk-reduction and market-risk-neutrality conditions and does not function as a means of avoiding the clearing obligation.
Firms should prepare for possible changes when the European Commission endorses the RTS, including tracking the endorsement, publication and application dates and updating policies, controls, reporting procedures and staff guidance accordingly.
Operations and records-management teams should assess whether existing books and records can identify the participants, transactions, algorithms, controls, results and decisions associated with each PTRR exercise for the required supervisory period.
Users of third-party PTRR services should consider obtaining contractual assurances and sufficient information from providers to demonstrate that transactions claimed as exempt satisfy the final RTS conditions.
Industry participants may wish to monitor Commission endorsement and any transitional provisions rather than treating the 20 October 2026 publication date as the effective date of the RTS.
What changed
The final report specifies the conditions under which transactions resulting from PTRR services may qualify for the EMIR 3 clearing-obligation exemption, including requirements concerning participant information, the conduct and execution of PTRR exercises, provider controls, record-keeping and supervisory monitoring. The framework addresses the main service types identified in ESMA's consultation: portfolio compression, portfolio rebalancing and basis risk optimisation, with requirements intended to demonstrate risk reduction and prevent circumvention of the clearing obligation.
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is preparatory rather than a new effective filing or conduct deadline, because the draft RTS must first be endorsed by the European Commission. Once effective, failure to evidence eligible PTRR status, adequate controls, transparency or records could result in transactions being unable to rely on the clearing-obligation exemption and could expose providers and users to supervisory scrutiny for potential circumvention of EMIR clearing requirements.
The SFC endorsed HKEX’s 16 October 2026 consultation conclusions proposing to move Hong Kong’s cash-market settlement cycle from T+2 to T+1, with September 2028 identified as the target implementation date within the second half of 2028. The change is not yet a binding rule amendment, but it signals a major post-trade operating-model change requiring coordinated preparation across brokers, custodians, asset managers, banks, technology providers and other market participants.
Key dates
2026-10-16
SFC welcomed HKEX’s consultation conclusions on the proposed transition from T+2 to T+1; HKEX published the consultation conclusions on the same date.
2028-09-01
September 2028 is identified as HKEX’s target month for implementation within the broader second-half-of-2028 timetable, subject to market readiness, regulatory approval and final rule and procedure amendments.
Suggested considerations
Firms should map all Hong Kong cash-market products, trading venues, settlement locations and transaction types that may fall within the final T+1 scope, including stock-option physical settlement where relevant.
Compliance and operations teams may wish to perform an end-to-end impact assessment covering trade capture, allocation, confirmation, affirmation, settlement-instruction creation and matching, funding, stock borrowing, corporate actions, reconciliations, fails management and client reporting.
Firms should assess whether overseas time zones, foreign-exchange funding, cross-border custody arrangements and client approval processes will effectively create a T+0 operating deadline for US- and European-based investors.
Broker-dealers, custodians and investment managers should review service-level agreements, settlement cut-offs, standing settlement instructions, client documentation, fail-allocation terms and contractual responsibility for late or failed settlement.
Technology teams may wish to test automation, real-time or near-real-time status updates, API connectivity, matching, exception queues, reconciliation and management information against the compressed timetable.
Firms should engage HKEX, HKSCC, executing brokers, custodians, prime brokers, fund administrators and other vendors on technical specifications, testing windows, training and readiness assessments as they become available.
Risk and treasury functions may wish to reassess intraday liquidity, pre-funding, collateral, stock-borrow availability, overdraft capacity, settlement-fail exposure and related client-margin assumptions.
Compliance teams should monitor the consequential amendments to HKEX and HKSCC rules and procedures, SFC communications, regulatory approvals and any final scope, cut-off, penalty or fail-management provisions before treating the September 2028 date as firm.
What changed
HKEX proposes to settle in-scope Hong Kong cash-market transactions one business day after trade date rather than two business days. The transition is subject to market readiness, regulatory approval and consequential amendments to applicable HKEX and settlement-system rules and procedures; the SFC says it will work with HKEX on those amendments and implementation arrangements.
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is preparatory rather than a new enforceable obligation: the SFC has announced a clear supervisory expectation that firms begin assessing systems, processes and operating arrangements early. Once the requisite HKEX, HKSCC and related procedural amendments take effect, inadequate automation, late funding or securities movement, weak exception management or insufficient counterparty coordination could increase settlement fails, liquidity and operational risk, and potentially expose firms to applicable contractual, clearing or regulatory consequences.
We summarise feedback to our discussion paper on how our rules and regulatory framework can support a stronger investment culture for consumers. ... Read FS26/3 (PDF) ... Why we asked for feedbackThe retail investment market has changed significantly. Consumers now have access to a wider range of investments, through…
AI Analysis
The FCA published FS26/3 on 16 October 2026, summarising feedback to DP25/3 on expanding consumer access to investments while maintaining protections for higher-risk products. It introduces no immediate rules or binding firm obligations, but signals targeted work on high-risk financial promotions, mainstream-investment risk information, appropriateness assessments and model portfolio services, with material developments expected during 2027.
Key dates
2025-12-08
FCA opened DP25/3, Expanding consumer access to investments.
2026-03-06
FCA closed the DP25/3 feedback period.
2026-10-16
FCA published FS26/3, summarising feedback and setting out next steps.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to monitor the FCA's planned review of financial-promotion rules for high-risk investments and assess whether current product classifications and promotional controls would remain defensible if similar-risk products are brought into a more consistent regime.
Firms may wish to inventory customer-facing risk information for mainstream investments and identify disclosures, digital journeys and governance processes that could require revision following the FCA's planned early-2027 consultation.
Platform operators and distributors may wish to review appropriateness-testing journeys, including customer understanding, repeat transactions, exemptions, escalation and recordkeeping, in anticipation of FCA stakeholder engagement during 2027.
Manufacturers and distributors of model portfolio services may wish to test product governance, target-market definitions, distribution strategy, cost and risk disclosures, and evidence of good consumer outcomes before the FCA publishes its multi-firm review findings in Q1 2027.
Firms may wish to review whether digital interfaces, trading-app functionality, gamification features and other friction-reducing design choices support informed decision-making and remain consistent with Consumer Duty outcomes.
Industry participants may wish to engage with the FCA's future consultations and stakeholder work, while avoiding treating FS26/3 as permission to relax existing financial-promotion, suitability, appropriateness or consumer-protection controls.
What changed
FS26/3 does not introduce new requirements, thresholds or effective dates for firms. The FCA will review whether financial-promotion rules for high-risk investments treat products with similar risks consistently; it plans to consult in early 2027 on changes to rules and guidance concerning risk information for mainstream investments; and it will review how appropriateness assessments operate in practice, including the merits of alternative models, with stakeholder engagement planned for 2027.
Compliance impact
The immediate compliance impact is limited because FS26/3 is a feedback statement rather than a policy statement containing final rules. Its significance is nevertheless broad: future changes could affect financial promotions, risk disclosures, appropriateness assessments and product-governance controls across retail investment distribution, while the FCA's model portfolio review may identify consumer-outcome deficiencies requiring remediation.
This document summarises the responses to the June 2026 public consultation on the Sound Practices for financial institutions’ responsible AI adoption.
AI Analysis
The FSB published its 15 October 2026 overview of approximately 160 consultation responses and finalised 12 sound practices for responsible AI adoption by financial institutions. The practices are non-binding, technology-neutral recommendations, but the final text materially sharpens expectations for agentic AI, risk-based human approval, documentation, safe interruption, and third-party AI dependency management.
Key dates
2026-06-10
The FSB published the consultation report proposing 12 sound practices for responsible AI adoption.
2026-07-22
The FSB consultation closed; approximately 160 responses were received.
2026-10-15
The FSB published the overview of consultation responses and the final report containing the 12 sound practices.
Suggested considerations
Firms should consider mapping existing AI inventories, model-risk controls, operational-resilience arrangements, cyber controls, outsourcing registers, and board reporting against all 12 FSB practices.
Compliance teams may wish to introduce or validate a documented, risk-based materiality assessment for each AI use case at inception and throughout its lifecycle, including uses embedded in products or obtained from vendors.
Boards and senior management should consider whether AI adoption is aligned with business strategy, risk appetite, accountability structures, and existing risk-management frameworks.
Firms using generative or agentic AI should consider defining permitted actions, autonomy limits, escalation paths, human-approval triggers, monitoring thresholds, and tested stop or safe-interruption procedures.
Firms should consider retaining records sufficient to identify the AI system, data, model or vendor, intended purpose, materiality assessment, testing, approvals, monitoring results, changes, incidents, and reconstructed decisions or actions.
Procurement and third-party-risk teams may wish to assess AI providers for performance, transparency, data quality, supply-chain exposure, concentration risk, exit options, resilience, and business-continuity arrangements.
Technology and operational-resilience teams should consider adding AI-specific cyber and ICT scenarios to testing and exercises, including model manipulation, data poisoning, prompt or agent compromise, erroneous autonomous actions, provider outage, and loss of vendor access.
Firms should consider reviewing the interaction between the FSB practices and binding local requirements, including the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act, EU AI Act, sectoral outsourcing rules, model-risk requirements, data-protection law, and senior-management accountability regimes.
What changed
The final framework retains 12 practices covering board and senior-management oversight, governance and accountability, AI risk integration and documentation, organisational adaptability, materiality assessment, model selection, data governance, explainability and transparency, performance management, human oversight, cyber and ICT risk, and third-party AI risk.
Compliance impact
The publication does not itself impose binding obligations, penalties, or a compliance deadline, so its immediate legal impact is limited. Its supervisory significance is nevertheless material: the detailed expectations on governance, documentation, human oversight, AI lifecycle controls, cyber risk, and third-party dependencies provide a likely benchmark for supervisory reviews and for future domestic implementation, particularly in higher-risk or autonomous AI use cases.
FSB publishes sound practices for financial institutions to adopt, use, and innovate with AI in a responsible manner.
AI Analysis
The FSB published its final 12 sound practices for responsible AI adoption on 15 October 2026, following its June 2026 consultation. The practices are non-binding, technology-neutral guidance, but they establish a clear supervisory benchmark for board accountability, AI risk integration, lifecycle controls, human oversight, cyber resilience and third-party dependency management; independent reporting highlights strengthened expectations for autonomous or agentic AI.
Key dates
2026-06-10
The FSB published its consultation report proposing 12 sound practices for responsible AI adoption by financial institutions.
2026-10-15
The FSB published the final report and consultation-response overview. The sound practices take effect as non-binding supervisory guidance with no stated implementation deadline.
Suggested considerations
Firms should inventory AI use cases, including embedded or shadow AI and autonomous or agentic functionality, and assign accountable owners for each use case.
Boards and senior management may wish to evidence how AI adoption aligns with the business model, strategy, risk appetite and existing governance framework.
Compliance and risk teams should consider adding AI-specific materiality, risk and approval assessments at inception and at defined review points after deployment or material model changes.
Firms should consider documenting model purpose, data sources, versions, limitations, testing, performance results, explainability assessments, human controls, incidents and changes sufficiently to reconstruct AI-supported decisions and actions.
For higher-risk or autonomous use cases, firms should consider setting risk-based human-approval triggers, access and action limits, real-time or periodic monitoring, escalation paths and tested intervention or shutdown mechanisms.
Existing cyber, ICT, operational resilience and third-party risk assessments may need to be extended to cover AI-specific threats, model manipulation, data leakage, outages, unsafe updates and concentration among common providers or models.
Procurement and legal teams should consider whether third-party AI contracts provide adequate monitoring, transparency, data-quality information, audit and access rights, change notification, incident cooperation, business continuity and exit arrangements.
Firms should map the FSB practices against applicable requirements under DORA, the EU AI Act, outsourcing rules, model-risk frameworks, conduct obligations and data-protection law, recording any gaps and the basis for proportionate controls.
What changed
The final report consolidates 12 proportionate practices into two areas: organisation-wide AI governance and risk management across the AI lifecycle. It strongly encourages boards and senior management to align AI adoption with business strategy and risk appetite, define responsibilities, incorporate AI risks into existing risk frameworks, document AI use cases, assess materiality at inception and thereafter, govern data, address explainability, evaluate performance, provide risk-based human oversight, manage AI-related cyber and ICT risks, and control third-party AI dependencies.
Compliance impact
The publication does not itself create directly enforceable obligations or a compliance deadline, so immediate legal-change severity is moderate. Its practical significance is nevertheless material: supervisors may use the practices as a reference point when assessing governance, operational resilience, outsourcing, model risk and senior-management oversight, particularly where autonomous AI causes customer, prudential, conduct, cyber or systemic-risk concerns.
OSFI statement on the Financial Stability Board’s publication of Sound Practices for Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence
AI Analysis
OSFI endorsed the Financial Stability Board’s 12 Sound Practices for Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence on October 15, 2026. The statement does not create a new binding rule or implementation deadline, but it signals that OSFI expects federally regulated financial institutions to address AI through existing governance, technology, operational, third-party, model, data and cyber-risk frameworks, with board and senior-management accountability and controls proportionate to each use case.
Key dates
2026-10-15
OSFI published its statement endorsing the FSB Sound Practices for Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence; the FSB also published the final Sound Practices on this date.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to map the 12 FSB practices against existing controls under OSFI’s Corporate Governance Guideline, Integrity and Security Guideline, Guideline B-10, Guideline B-13, Guideline E-21 and Guideline E-23.
Firms should consider maintaining an enterprise-wide inventory of AI use cases, including internally developed systems, embedded vendor functionality and generative or agentic AI, with documented owners, intended purposes, materiality assessments and lifecycle status.
Boards and senior management may wish to review whether the institution’s business strategy, risk appetite and governance framework clearly address AI adoption, accountability, escalation and human oversight.
Firms should consider assessing AI use cases for operational, technology, cyber, third-party, model, data, privacy, conduct and governance risks, with controls proportionate to the materiality and risk of each use case.
Compliance and risk functions may wish to review AI development and deployment documentation, validation, monitoring, change management, testing, incident escalation, explainability and retirement processes, including for systems supplied by third parties.
Institutions should consider evaluating whether existing B-10 outsourcing and third-party risk controls address vendor model changes, data access, subcontracting, concentration risk, resilience, audit rights and exit arrangements for AI-enabled services.
Internal audit or an equivalent independent assurance function may wish to assess whether AI governance and lifecycle controls operate effectively and whether management reporting to the board is sufficiently complete.
Firms may wish to monitor subsequent OSFI technology risk bulletins, supervisory communications and future revisions to the FSB practices, since OSFI stated that it will continue monitoring how AI changes the risk environment and institutional operations.
What changed
OSFI formally endorsed the FSB Sound Practices and identified them as complementary to existing OSFI expectations. The FSB practices cover organization-wide AI governance and management across the AI lifecycle, including strategic direction, accountability, risk management, human oversight, data governance, controls, adaptability and coordination. The publication is non-binding guidance rather than a new OSFI rule, capital requirement, reporting obligation or prescribed compliance deadline.
Compliance impact
The immediate legal and prudential impact is moderate because the statement introduces no standalone binding obligation or deadline. Its supervisory significance is nevertheless material: weaknesses in AI governance may be assessed through existing OSFI frameworks, and unmanaged AI risks could contribute to operational, technology, cyber, third-party, model, data, governance, resilience, integrity or security consequences.
De AFM heeft het beleid voor het vaststellen van de hoogte van bestuurlijke boetes geactualiseerd. Het beleid is op onderdelen aangepast en verduidelijkt. Per 15 oktober 2026 treedt het nieuwe Boetetoemetingsbeleid AFM 2026 in werking. De wijzigingen zijn overwegend technisch en verduidelijkend van aard.
AI Analysis
De AFM vervangt per 15 oktober 2026 het Boetetoemetingsbeleid AFM 2021 door het Boetetoemetingsbeleid AFM 2026. Hoewel de AFM de wijzigingen hoofdzakelijk technisch en verduidelijkend noemt, neemt de beleidsruimte toe om aanzienlijk af te wijken van het wettelijke basisbedrag en wordt de berekening van omzetgerelateerde boetes voor grotere ondernemingen voorspelbaarder maar potentieel aanzienlijker.
Key dates
2026-10-14
AFM publiceert de actualisering van het boetetoemetingsbeleid.
2026-10-15
Het Boetetoemetingsbeleid AFM 2026 treedt in werking en vervangt in beginsel het beleid van 2021, behoudens toepasselijke overgangsregimes.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to map each relevante overtreding tegen het toepasselijke wettelijke basisbedrag, de boetecategorie en het wettelijke omzetgerelateerde maximum onder de Wft, het Bbbfs en toepasselijke EU-regels.
Grotere ondernemingen may wish to model exposure using three- to ten-times the applicable basisbedrag for potential zware zaken, followed by a documented proportionality assessment and review against the relevant percentage-of-turnover ceiling.
Firms should consider strengthening evidence on remediation, cooperation, duration, limited impact, absence of recidive, financial position and any other mitigating circumstances, because the updated policy gives the AFM greater scope to move materially away from the basisbedrag.
Boards and senior compliance owners may wish to review open investigations, pending enforcement matters and historic breaches to assess whether the 2026 policy or an applicable transitional regime is relevant.
Legal and compliance teams may wish to verify the final AFM 2026 policy and its transitional provisions, particularly where the alleged conduct occurred before 15 October 2026 or where the applicable legal maximum has recently changed.
Firms may wish to update enforcement-risk scenarios, management information and provisions to reflect that a lower basisbedrag is not necessarily a reliable proxy for the final penalty in a serious case.
What changed
Het beleid blijft gebaseerd op het bestaande stappenplan, maar verduidelijkt dat het wettelijke basisbedrag slechts een globaal uitgangspunt is. De ernst van de overtreding kan aanleiding geven tot een aanzienlijke verhoging of verlaging, waardoor de AFM meer ruimte krijgt voor vergaand maatwerk in lijn met recente jurisprudentie.
Compliance impact
De wijziging creëert geen nieuwe primaire gedragsnormen, maar kan de financiële en litigation exposure bij handhaving vergroten doordat de AFM in ernstige zaken verder van het wettelijke basisbedrag kan afwijken. De omzetgerelateerde methodiek voor grotere ondernemingen wordt duidelijker: een uitgangspunt van drie- tot tienmaal het basisbedrag kan vervolgens worden gematigd wegens evenredigheid, maar blijft begrensd door het toepasselijke wettelijke maximum, zoals 10%, 15% of 20% van de netto-jaaromzet waar de wet dat voorschrijft.
Beleggingsondernemingen die een tekortkoming in hun MiFIR-transactierapportages constateren, moeten dit zelf melden bij de AFM. De Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) introduceert een nieuw boetebeleid, waarmee zij duidelijkheid geeft over haar verwachtingen en de gevolgen wanneer zo’n melding uitblijft.
AI Analysis
On 14 October 2026, the AFM published a policy on administrative fines for investment firms that fail to report discovered deficiencies in MiFIR transaction reporting. Where an unreported deficiency exceeds specified volume or duration thresholds, the AFM’s starting point is a reduced fine of €25,000 for a first infringement and €50,000 for a second infringement within five years, despite a statutory base amount of €500,000.
Key dates
2026-10-14
AFM publishes the policy on fines for deficiencies in MiFIR transaction reporting that firms fail to report voluntarily.
Suggested considerations
Firms should compare their transaction-reporting incident procedures with the new AFM thresholds, while recognising that the AFM’s existing incident process can require notification before those thresholds are reached.
Compliance teams may wish to establish documented escalation triggers for missing or late reports exceeding 100,000 transactions or 25% over at least two weeks, and for incomplete, inaccurate or incorrectly submitted reports exceeding 500,000 transactions or 50% over at least four weeks.
Firms should consider treating the thresholds as minimum enforcement indicators rather than safe harbours, because the AFM separately expects firms to report significant incidents immediately and requires firms to decide reportability based on all available information.
Transaction-reporting owners may wish to monitor rejected reports, failed resubmissions, invalid or missing LEIs, duplicate or unnecessary reports, and data-field errors, with evidence of detection dates, affected populations, root cause and remediation.
Firms should consider retaining a defensible audit trail for incidents not reported to the AFM, including the issue scope, the reportability assessment, root-cause analysis, corrective controls and management approval.
Where notification is required, firms should consider using the AFM incident form promptly rather than waiting for the investigation to finish, updating the AFM as facts develop and documenting any request for additional time.
Senior management and compliance committees may wish to review recurring incidents and prior infringements because a second infringement within five years has a stated starting fine of €50,000, twice the first-infringement amount.
Firms should consider validating their procedures against Article 26 of MiFIR, Article 15(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/590 and the Dutch Wft framework, including the requirement to report transactions completely, accurately and no later than the end of the following working day.
What changed
The AFM has formalised when an unreported transaction-reporting deficiency will be treated as involving a substantial quantity of transactions. For missing or late reports, the threshold is more than 100,000 affected transactions or more than 25% of reportable transactions over a period of at least two weeks. For incomplete, inaccurate or incorrectly submitted reports, the threshold is more than 500,000 affected transactions or more than 50% of reportable transactions over a period of at least four weeks.
Compliance impact
The publication increases enforcement risk for firms that detect material transaction-reporting failures but do not notify the AFM, with periodic supervisory checks intended to identify non-reporting. The policy materially lowers the stated starting fines compared with the €500,000 statutory base amount, but it does not remove the underlying MiFIR reporting obligation or create a general safe harbour below the published thresholds.
PRA policy statement 19/26 | FCA policy statement 26/20
AI Analysis
PRA Policy Statement 19/26 and FCA Policy Statement 26/20 remove the firm-specific 15% cap on high loan-to-income mortgage lending while retaining the Financial Policy Committee’s aggregate objective of keeping high-LTI lending consistent with 15% of new residential mortgage flows. From 28 October 2026, lenders may set individual high-LTI strategies above 15% where supported by risk appetite and governance, but may be expected to reduce lending gradually if aggregate market activity becomes inconsistent with the FPC limit.
Key dates
2026-10-28 Deadline
The PRA amendments to the Housing Part of the PRA Rulebook and SS2/26 commence; the FCA replacement general guidance also comes into effect and prior FCA high-LTI guidance is replaced.
Suggested considerations
Firms should assess whether their high-LTI risk appetite, lending plans and business model support individual high-LTI flows above 15% from 28 October 2026.
Firms should review and, where necessary, update board-approved policies, risk appetite statements, underwriting controls, affordability assessments, portfolio limits, stress testing and management information for high-LTI lending.
Compliance teams may wish to map existing controls and reporting to the rolling four-quarter calculation for individual flows and distinguish this from the regulators’ single-quarter aggregate monitoring measure.
Firms should establish a process to monitor the PRA’s quarterly aggregate high-LTI publication and the FCA’s notifications regarding expected adjustments, including escalation to senior management and the board where a reduction in lending may be required.
Firms intending to operate above 15% should consider whether they can reduce high-LTI lending smoothly and predictably towards 15% if requested, including identifying practical management actions and avoiding abrupt changes to customer or intermediary pipelines.
Firms should confirm that further advances and retirement interest-only mortgage contracts are correctly excluded from the relevant flow calculations and that other mortgage products are classified consistently with the final rules and guidance.
Firms using the interim PRA modification by consent or FCA individual guidance should confirm that the relevant interim directions will fall away automatically on 28 October 2026 and align systems and procedures with the final framework.
Senior managers and boards should document oversight of high-LTI strategy, risk appetite changes, portfolio performance, concentration risk and the potential effect of aggregate market developments on future lending.
What changed
The PRA will amend the Housing Part of the PRA Rulebook and the FCA will replace FG14/8, FG17/2 and FG25/4 with new general guidance. High-LTI lending remains lending at an LTI ratio of 4.5 times income or above, with the aggregate market limit remaining 15%; the individual firm-level 15% cap is removed. Individual firm high-LTI flows and any expected reductions will be assessed on a rolling four-quarter basis, while the regulators will monitor aggregate high-LTI flow using a single-calendar-quarter measure.
Compliance impact
This is a final policy change with binding PRA rule amendments for affected PRA firms and supervisory expectations for both PRA and FCA mortgage lenders. The immediate compliance risk is not a breach of a new individual 15% ceiling, but inadequate governance, risk controls, monitoring or failure to manage a required gradual reduction if aggregate high-LTI lending becomes inconsistent with the FPC’s 15% limit; abrupt portfolio adjustments could also create supervisory and market-conduct concerns.
Read the Monetary Policy Statement for October 2026.
AI Analysis
MAS maintained the existing rate of appreciation of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) policy band at its 14 October 2026 review, with no change to the band’s width or centre. The decision pauses after tightening in April and July, while MAS expects near-term imported inflation to remain elevated but core and headline inflation to moderate more clearly from mid-2027; market coverage characterized this as a pause rather than a reversal of the tightening stance.
Key dates
2026-10-14
MAS published its October 2026 Monetary Policy Statement and maintained the rate of appreciation, width, and centre of the S$NEER policy band.
2027-06-01
MAS expects core inflation to begin easing more discernibly from around the middle of 2027; this is an economic forecast, not a compliance deadline.
Suggested considerations
Compliance and risk teams should record the statement as a macroeconomic policy development rather than a new regulatory obligation.
Treasury, asset-liability management, investment-risk, and enterprise-risk functions should consider reviewing assumptions for SGD exchange rates, imported energy and food costs, interest rates, and liquidity under the stated upside-inflation and downside-growth scenarios.
Firms with material foreign-currency exposures should consider reassessing hedging, stress-testing, valuation, and client-portfolio assumptions in light of the continued appreciating S$NEER policy band.
Banks and other firms using 2026 or 2027 financial-crime, conduct, credit, capital, or liquidity scenarios may wish to document whether the revised inflation outlook and expected moderation of AI-related growth affect those scenarios.
Compliance teams should monitor subsequent MAS statements and applicable supervisory communications because MAS expressly stated that it remains prepared to respond to risks to medium-term price stability.
What changed
No new binding compliance requirement, prudential rule, reporting obligation, or conduct standard was introduced. MAS retained the appreciating S$NEER policy band and left its slope, width, and centre unchanged. MAS reported that Singapore GDP grew 5.4% year-on-year in Q3 2026 and revised its 2026 MAS Core Inflation forecast to 1.5–2.0%, with CPI-All Items inflation around 2.0%; for 2027, both measures are projected at 1.5–2.5%.
Compliance impact
The direct compliance impact is low because the statement changes no legal requirements and imposes no firm action deadline. Its main relevance is indirect: the continued appreciating exchange-rate stance, elevated near-term imported inflation, and projected moderation in AI-related growth may affect firms’ market, credit, liquidity, valuation, and operational risk assessments.
Collective investments Asset management The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) has published a new instruction covering liquidity management procedures at OPCIs and evergreen FCPRs
AI Analysis
On 13 October 2026, the AMF published Instruction DOC-2026-05, introducing permanent liquid-asset cushion requirements and specified liquidity stress-testing expectations for OPCIs and open-ended evergreen FCPRs that are not authorised under the ELTIF Regulation. Existing funds established before that date receive a two-year transition period, while changes to redemption frequency or notice periods that affect the required cushion require prior AMF approval and specific investor notification.
Key dates
2026-10-13
Instruction DOC-2026-05 was published; it applies to the specified OPCIs and evergreen FCPRs, and the two-year transition period begins for funds established before this date.
2028-10-13 Deadline
End of the two-year transition period for OPCIs and evergreen FCPRs established before 2026-10-13. Management companies should have notified the AMF of compliance through ROSA and filed the prospectus or rules and required stress tests by this date.
Suggested considerations
Firms should identify every OPCI and evergreen FCPR in scope and map its redemption frequency, notice period, current liquid-asset holdings and applicable minimum cushion under Instruction DOC-2026-05.
Management companies should calculate whether each fund satisfies the applicable permanent cushion and assess whether the potentially reduced regime for funds marketed exclusively through eligible insurance or savings products is available and properly evidenced.
Compliance teams may wish to update prospectuses, evergreen FCPR rules and related investor disclosures to state the minimum liquid-asset cushion using the applicable Annex VII format.
Firms should produce or refresh liquidity stress tests using all scenarios specified in DOC-2026-05, including evidence that redemption requests can be met, and establish governance for periodic review and escalation of shortfalls.
Management companies should review whether any proposed change to redemption frequency or notice period would alter the required cushion and, if so, plan for prior AMF approval, specific investor notification and the applicable fee-free redemption right.
For funds existing on 2026-10-13, firms should plan the ROSA filing of the amended prospectus or rules and compliant stress tests before the end of the two-year transition period.
Product, distribution and insurance teams should verify that marketing materials and product documentation do not imply liquidity inconsistent with the fund’s redemption terms, liquid-asset cushion or stress-test assumptions.
Firms should monitor the forthcoming French transposition of Directive (EU) 2024/927 and assess whether subsequent statutory liquidity-management-tool requirements impose additional controls beyond DOC-2026-05.
What changed
The former authorisation approach, under which management companies generally demonstrated liquid assets equal to 30% to 40% of net assets and submitted stress tests, is replaced or formalised through a permanent liquidity cushion calibrated to the fund’s redemption frequency or redemption notice period. The AMF gives a monthly-redemption fund as an example requiring at least 25% of net assets in liquid assets.
Compliance impact
The publication creates concrete authorisation, documentation, investor-notification and liquidity-governance consequences for a specialised but potentially retail-linked segment of French alternative funds. Failure to maintain or disclose the required cushion, obtain prior approval for relevant redemption-term changes, or complete the ROSA compliance filing could prevent or delay authorisation and expose the management company and fund to supervisory challenge; future AIFMD amendments may add requirements.
On 12 October 2026, the SFC published consultation conclusions supporting amendments to the Securities and Futures (Stock Market Listing) Rules (SMLR) to address IPO-related and post-IPO corporate misconduct with more targeted measures. The amendments are expected to take effect in Q1 2027, subject to negative vetting by the Legislative Council, and will expand the SFC’s ability to impose continuing and post-listing conditions, streamline trading resumption, and provide independent merits review by the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal.
Key dates
2025-03-28
The SFC issued its consultation paper on proposed amendments to the SMLR.
2025-05-23 Deadline
The consultation period for the proposed SMLR amendments closed.
2026-10-12
The SFC published consultation conclusions and announced that it would proceed with the amendments, subject to the legislative process.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams supporting IPO applicants should consider updating due-diligence, disclosure and governance processes to identify information that may need to be disclosed or remediated as a continuing post-listing condition.
Listing applicants and sponsors should consider assessing whether proposed undertakings, disclosure controls and post-listing monitoring arrangements can satisfy conditions that may continue after listing.
Listed issuers should consider strengthening escalation procedures for materially false, incomplete or misleading disclosures, and preparing documented remediation and disclosure plans that could support continued trading rather than suspension.
Issuers and their advisers should consider monitoring the gazetted amendment text, Legislative Council negative-vetting materials and any SFC implementation guidance for differences from the consultation proposals and the final effective date.
Brokers and market operators should consider reviewing controls for identifying and communicating SFC-imposed trading conditions, suspension directions and resumption conditions.
Affected issuers should consider preserving decision records and legal analysis needed to evaluate a potential merits review before the Securities and Futures Appeals Tribunal once the expanded review jurisdiction takes effect.
What changed
The SMLR will be amended to expressly permit the SFC to impose conditions on listing applicants that continue to apply after listing, including continuing disclosure obligations. The SFC will also be able to impose conditions on listed issuers as an alternative to immediately suspending trading, with continued dealings conditional on compliance; potential conditions include clearer, more explicit and more complete disclosure to investors.
Compliance impact
The change is a significant expansion of the SFC’s targeted intervention toolkit: listing applicants may be permitted to list subject to obligations that continue after listing, while listed issuers may face mandatory conditions as an alternative to immediate suspension. Non-compliance may still result in trading suspension or other SFC action, although the expanded review route is intended to improve procedural fairness and transparency.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published a report proposing draft amendments to the Regulatory Technical Standards (RTS) on certain prudential requirements for central securities depositories (CSDs) and designated credit institutions offering ‘banking-type ancillary services’. This mostly responds to…
AI Analysis
On 12 October 2026, the EBA submitted a Final Report containing draft amendments to the RTS on prudential requirements for CSDs and designated credit institutions providing banking-type ancillary services. The amendments principally operationalise the CSDR Refit permission for banking CSDs to provide cash, payment and foreign-exchange services to other CSDs, while addressing the resulting interconnectedness, supervisory notifications and updated CRR references; the draft is not itself yet a binding EU rule.
Key dates
2025-12-03
The EBA launched its consultation on the draft amendments to the CSD prudential RTS.
2026-03-03 Deadline
The EBA consultation closed.
2026-10-12
The EBA published the Final Report and submitted draft amendments to the European Commission.
Suggested considerations
Banking CSDs and designated credit institutions should map existing and planned cash, deposit, payment and foreign-exchange services against the CSDR Refit permissions and the draft RTS risk-management and notification framework.
CSDs should assess whether providing or receiving these services creates additional intraday credit, liquidity, settlement, counterparty or concentration exposures, including exposures arising through foreign-currency settlement and increased inter-CSD interconnectedness.
Compliance and regulatory-policy teams should compare current prudential policies, risk limits, management information, reporting and public-disclosure processes with the draft RTS once the EBA draft text has been reviewed in detail.
Firms should monitor the European Commission's endorsement, any amendments made during adoption, publication in the Official Journal and the eventual application date before treating the draft requirements as binding.
CSDs and designated credit institutions may wish to engage with their competent authorities early on the expected supervisory notifications, information flows and governance for arrangements involving participants of another CSD.
Regulatory inventories and internal legal references should be updated for the amended CSDR terminology and relevant CRR changes after the final delegated act is adopted.
What changed
The draft RTS update the prudential framework under Article 59(5) of Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 (CSDR) for monitoring, measuring, managing, reporting and publicly disclosing credit and liquidity risks, including intraday risks. They address arrangements under which a banking CSD provides banking-type ancillary services to another, or designating, CSD, including cash accounts, deposits and payment services involving cash and foreign-exchange transactions, with particular attention to the effect on the banking CSD's risk profile and to notifications required by supervisors.
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is medium because the publication is a draft RTS report rather than an immediately applicable obligation, but it signals a material prudential and supervisory focus for banking CSDs that serve other CSDs. The regulator is specifically seeking to prevent increased inter-CSD interconnectedness from raising systemic risk, with consequences for intraday liquidity and credit-risk controls, supervisory notifications, reporting and disclosure once the amendments enter into force.
Monetary Authority of Singapore today announced enhanced safeguards for public prospecting activities, following a public consultation on proposals to strengthen standards of conduct in this area.
AI Analysis
MAS announced enhanced safeguards for public prospecting activities, including roadshows, following its consultation on conduct risks from unsolicited or persistent solicitation. The updated Guidelines on Standards of Conduct for Marketing and Distribution Activities will be issued in 2027, after which financial institutions will receive a nine-month transition period; the announcement therefore signals material upcoming control changes but is not yet an immediate implementation deadline.
Key dates
2026-10-12
MAS announced the enhanced safeguards and published its response to the consultation on public prospecting activities.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to map all roadshows, promotional booths and other public prospecting activities against the forthcoming restriction to designated areas at commercial premises.
Firms should consider identifying suitably qualified event supervisors, defining their responsibilities and documenting escalation and intervention procedures for representative misconduct.
Firms should consider revising scripts and training so representatives clearly state their marketing purpose before engagement and obtain consumer consent before proceeding.
Firms may wish to establish monitoring, sampling and management-information controls to evidence that consent was obtained and that solicitation was not persistent or otherwise inappropriate.
Firms should review policies, representative procedures, venue approval processes, third-party arrangements and supervisory testing for continued street canvassing or door-to-door activity, which remains prohibited.
Compliance teams may wish to track the 2027 issuance of the updated Guidelines and calculate the applicable nine-month transition period from the actual issuance date rather than from this announcement.
Firms should consider aligning physical prospecting controls with their existing controls for digital advertising activities introduced in September 2025.
What changed
Financial institutions will be expected to conduct public prospecting only in designated areas at commercial premises. They will need to appoint suitably qualified individuals to oversee representatives’ conduct at such events. Representatives must disclose at the outset that they intend to market financial products or services and obtain the consumer’s consent before continuing the engagement. Street canvassing and door-to-door prospecting remain prohibited.
Compliance impact
The announcement creates a significant upcoming conduct-control change for firms using roadshows or similar consumer-facing activities, although the detailed Guidelines and implementation timetable have not yet been issued. MAS frames the consequences in consumer-protection and fair-treatment terms, with heightened supervisory expectations around venue controls, representative oversight, upfront transparency and consumer consent; street canvassing and door-to-door prospecting remain prohibited.
ESMA clarifies access for EU market participants to the services of third-country CSDs 07 October 2026 Post Trading The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU regulator and supervisor, has published today a statement clarifying that EU market participants should not be prevented from accessing…
AI Analysis
ESMA has stated that EU market participants should continue to be able to access relevant services of third-country CSDs after the current transitional regime expires on 17 January 2027, pending completion of legislation extending that regime. The statement responds to concerns that CSDs such as DTC could suspend services to EU issuers, potentially disrupting settlement, custody and trading in affected securities.
Key dates
2027-01-17 Deadline
The current transitional regime for certain third-country CSD notary and central maintenance services is scheduled to expire; ESMA says access should nevertheless not be prevented after this date pending finalisation of the legislative extension.
Suggested considerations
Firms should identify securities, issuer programmes, custody chains and settlement arrangements that depend directly or indirectly on a third-country CSD, including arrangements involving DTC or other non-EU infrastructure.
Compliance and operations teams may wish to document reliance on the transitional regime and assess the consequences of a delayed or unsuccessful legislative extension, including possible suspension, removal of securities from a CSD system, settlement disruption and trading interruption.
Issuers should consider confirming with their third-country CSD, depositary, registrar, paying agent, custodian and trading venues how access is expected to be maintained after 17 January 2027 and what contingency arrangements exist.
Firms should distinguish ESMA's policy statement from a binding legislative amendment or formal recognition decision and avoid treating it as confirmation that every third-country CSD may provide services indefinitely without satisfying CSDR requirements.
Legal and regulatory teams may wish to monitor the final text and commencement date of the Market Integration and Supervision Package, together with any European Commission equivalence decisions and ESMA recognition decisions relevant to the CSDs used by the firm.
Firms should review contractual, disclosure and operational-resilience documentation so that any dependency on third-country CSD access, alternative settlement routes or potential service suspension is appropriately reflected.
What changed
ESMA has provided a supervisory and market-access clarification that EU market participants should not be prevented from accessing the relevant notary and central maintenance services of third-country CSDs solely because the current transitional regime reaches its scheduled end on 17 January 2027. The clarification is intended to apply during the period after that date and until the EU finalises the proposed legislative extension under the Market Integration and Supervision Package.
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is principally operational and market-infrastructure risk rather than a new firm-level reporting or capital obligation. Without the clarification or a timely legislative solution, third-country CSDs could have suspended or withdrawn services, causing settlement disruption and potentially suspending trading in affected equity and debt securities; independent market commentary has highlighted particular exposure for EU issuers using DTC and the absence, for some jurisdictions including the United States, of the equivalence decision ordinarily relevant to ESMA recognition.
The SFC will implement amendments to Hong Kong’s Code on Unit Trusts and Mutual Funds (UT Code) from 1 November 2026, following its consultation launched on 22 October 2025 and closed on 21 January 2026. The changes introduce VaR as an alternative to the existing net derivative exposure method, strengthen liquidity and money market fund safeguards, and streamline requirements for management companies and feeder funds; industry commentary indicates the framework is intended to align more closely with UCITS and other major fund regimes while supporting broader retail product strategies.
Key dates
2025-10-22
The SFC published its consultation paper on proposed amendments to the UT Code.
2026-01-21
The consultation period closed.
2026-10-16
The revised UT Code and consequential revised PRF, MPF, ILAS and REIT codes are scheduled to be gazetted.
2026-11-01
The revised UT Code and consequential revised PRF, MPF, ILAS and REIT codes become effective.
2027-11-01 Deadline
The generally applicable 12-month transitional period for existing SFC-authorised funds is scheduled to end.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to map each SFC-authorised fund’s current derivative exposure methodology against the revised UT Code and assess whether adopting relative or absolute VaR would be operationally and commercially appropriate.
Fund managers considering VaR may wish to validate reference-portfolio selection, VaR models, calibration, stress testing, back-testing, independent validation, governance approvals, limit monitoring and escalation procedures against the final revised UT Code and forthcoming SFC guidance.
Managers may wish to review liquidity-risk frameworks, redemption terms, asset-liability liquidity matching, stress-testing scenarios, anti-dilution tools and disclosures, particularly for funds with exposure to less liquid assets.
Money market fund managers may wish to test compliance with the 7.5% daily-liquid-assets and 15% weekly-liquid-assets thresholds and document monitoring of investor concentration, redemption behaviour, asset liquidity, days to trade, cost to trade and maturity profiles.
Product, legal and disclosure teams may wish to update offering documents, constitutive documents, investment-management agreements, risk disclosures, derivatives policies and fund supplements where the revised requirements affect a fund’s strategy or operating model.
Managers may wish to assess whether existing UCITS or other overseas risk-management documentation can be leveraged while confirming that Hong Kong-specific requirements and SFC-authorised-fund classifications are satisfied.
Trustees, custodians and oversight committees may wish to confirm their revised oversight responsibilities, reporting arrangements and escalation processes before the transition period expires.
Firms may wish to monitor the SFC’s forthcoming supplementary guidance, frequently asked questions and revised templates and incorporate them into implementation plans.
What changed
The revised UT Code will permit eligible retail funds to manage derivative exposure using either the existing net derivative exposure approach or a VaR approach. The proposed VaR framework uses a relative VaR limit of 200% of the VaR of a designated unleveraged reference portfolio or an absolute VaR limit of 20% of the fund’s NAV, together with associated governance, risk-management and monitoring requirements.
Compliance impact
This is a binding final-rule change with broad implications for SFC-authorised retail funds, although the SFC is providing a generally applicable 12-month transition period. The regulator describes the measures as strengthening investor protection, liquidity resilience and alignment with international standards, while market commentary highlights implementation work around VaR governance, liquidity tools, money market fund buffers and revised product documentation.
Het Nederlandse juridische kader biedt momenteel geen basis voor effecten die uitsluitend als token worden uitgegeven, aangehouden en overgedragen. Daardoor dreigt Nederland achter te raken bij de ontwikkeling van digitale financiële markten en toekomstige financiële marktinfrastructuren. Dat concluderen de Autoriteit…
AI Analysis
AFM and DNB stated on 7 October 2026 that Dutch law does not currently provide a sufficient legal basis for securities that are issued, held and transferred exclusively as tokens, meaning native tokenisation is not presently workable under existing Dutch legislation. The publication is a policy signal rather than a new binding requirement, but it indicates that the regulators expect a coordinated government, supervisory and market process to assess legislative clarification and align the Netherlands with European tokenisation developments.
Key dates
2026-10-07
AFM and DNB published their joint policy statement and exploration on tokenisation of securities in the Netherlands.
2023-03-23
Applications became available under the EU DLT Pilot Regime as implemented and supervised in the Netherlands; this is relevant background for firms assessing DLT market-infrastructure models, not a new deadline arising from the AFM and DNB publication.
Suggested considerations
Firms should classify each proposed tokenised instrument by its legal and regulatory characteristics, distinguishing securities or other MiFID II financial instruments from crypto-assets covered by MiCA and from non-financial crypto-assets.
Compliance and legal teams may wish to document whether the proposed arrangement is native tokenisation or a hybrid model, identify which record constitutes the legally authoritative record, and assess the resulting title, transfer, custody, settlement and insolvency risks under Dutch law.
Market infrastructures and investment firms considering a DLT model should assess whether Regulation (EU) 2022/858 and the Dutch DLT Pilot Regime are available, including the need for specific permission and the eligibility limits applicable to DLT financial instruments and operators.
Firms should continue applying existing requirements, including MiFID II conduct and organisational rules, the Prospectus Regulation where applicable, Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 on market abuse, Regulation (EU) No 909/2014 on central securities depositories where applicable, and relevant custody, client-asset and investor-protection controls; the AFM and DNB statement does not disapply them.
Issuers, custodians, trading venues and service providers may wish to participate in or monitor the proposed government-supervisor-market follow-up and prepare concrete use cases that identify where statutory clarification, contractual documentation or a Dutch legislative amendment would be needed.
Firms operating cross-border should compare the Dutch position with jurisdictions that have introduced specific legal recognition for electronic or DLT-based securities, while avoiding reliance on another jurisdiction's legal treatment without confirming Dutch offering, custody, settlement and investor-protection implications.
Governance functions may wish to update technology, legal, operational-resilience and outsourcing risk assessments to account for the possibility that infrastructure and issuance activity migrate to jurisdictions offering greater legal certainty.
What changed
No legislation, regulatory technical standard, authorisation requirement or immediate compliance deadline was introduced. AFM and DNB jointly identified a legal gap: although EU and Dutch law do not generally prohibit DLT, market participants are commonly forced to maintain both a DLT-based record and a traditional legal administration, creating uncertainty about the legal significance of the token and limiting efficiency gains.
Compliance impact
The immediate compliance impact is limited because the publication creates no new binding obligation or deadline. Its strategic and legal significance is material: the regulators warn that continued reliance on hybrid records may create uncertainty over the legal status and transfer of tokenised securities and may cause investment and future market infrastructure to move to other jurisdictions, while signalling that Dutch legislative or regulatory clarification may follow.
Written reply to Parliamentary Question on moving critical illness policy definitions towards underlying disease and severity.
AI Analysis
MAS has stated that the Life Insurance Association Singapore (LIA) will begin its next review of severe-stage critical illness definitions in 2027, examining whether selected definitions can rely less on specified procedures and more on the underlying disease and its severity. The announcement is a policy signal rather than an immediate rule change: any revised definitions are expected to affect new products only, with premiums potentially changing because broader or different claim triggers alter expected claims probability.
Key dates
2026-10-07
MAS published its written parliamentary reply stating that LIA’s next review of severe-stage critical illness definitions will commence in 2027 and that updated definitions will apply to new products sold.
2027-01-01
The LIA review is expected to commence during 2027; the publication does not specify an exact commencement date or impose a firm for firms to act by this date.
2025-10-01
The LIA Critical Illness Framework 2024 was required to be adopted for new products no later than this date, according to independent industry and LIA-related materials; this is relevant background rather than a new deadline created by the MAS reply.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to monitor the LIA’s 2027 review, consultation materials, final framework amendments, implementation dates, and any MAS communications that follow.
Insurers should consider mapping current severe-stage definitions to the procedures and clinical severity criteria that may be affected, including identifying products whose claims triggers are particularly dependent on a named surgical procedure.
Product governance, actuarial, underwriting, claims, legal, and compliance functions may wish to assess how alternative disease- and severity-based triggers could affect coverage scope, expected claims frequency, reserves, reinsurance, and pricing.
Firms should consider documenting whether existing policy wordings can continue to be administered consistently with their contractual terms and should avoid treating any future framework revision as automatically applicable to in-force policies.
Insurers developing new products should consider preparing customer disclosures explaining the relevant disease, severity, diagnostic evidence, exclusions, waiting periods, and any procedure-independent claims criteria.
Compliance teams may wish to review product approval and change-control processes so that future LIA definition changes are reflected consistently in policy documents, benefit illustrations, sales materials, claims manuals, staff training, and complaint-handling procedures.
Actuarial and product teams should consider reassessing premiums and claims assumptions before launching products using revised definitions, since MAS expressly notes that premiums depend on the probability of claims materialising.
What changed
No immediate statutory requirement, product withdrawal, or mandatory amendment to existing policies was introduced. LIA’s 2027 review will consider procedure-neutral or less procedure-dependent definitions for certain medical conditions, while retaining the use of procedures where they provide objective evidence of severity, recovery duration, and financial impact. Any resulting changes will apply to new products sold; existing policies remain governed by their contractual definitions and terms.
Compliance impact
The immediate compliance impact is low because the reply creates no binding amendment to policy contracts and does not require changes to products currently in force. The prospective changes could nevertheless have material conduct, product-governance, claims, actuarial, pricing, disclosure, and administration consequences if disease- and severity-based definitions broaden or otherwise change eligibility for benefits.
Written reply to Parliamentary Question on support for borrowers at risk of financial stress.
AI Analysis
MAS disclosed that approximately 4,000 borrower households, or around 1% of households with housing loans from financial institutions, could experience negative monthly cash flow and insufficient savings under a severe scenario involving higher mortgage rates and sharply reduced income. The reply does not introduce a new rule or deadline; it clarifies existing lender engagement and restructuring channels and signals that early identification and borrower support remain expected risk-management practices.
Key dates
2026-10-07
MAS published the written parliamentary reply and stated that approximately 4,000 households could face cash shortfalls under the severe stress scenario.
Suggested considerations
Compliance and consumer-credit teams may wish to confirm that mortgage portfolios have documented processes for identifying deteriorating repayment performance and other early indicators of financial stress.
Banks should consider reviewing whether frontline and collections staff consistently contact borrowers early, assess individual circumstances, and record the rationale for any restructuring, refinancing, forbearance, or other assistance offered.
Mortgage lenders may wish to test whether vulnerable segments identified by the MAS stress test, including lower-income middle-aged HDB borrowers and borrowers with sizeable private-housing loan balances, are adequately represented in portfolio monitoring and scenario analysis.
Firms should consider maintaining clear customer communications directing borrowers who anticipate repayment difficulty to contact the lender before arrears arise.
Banks and relevant agencies may wish to review referral arrangements with HDB, Credit Counselling Singapore, and appropriate social-service agencies, including escalation and hand-off procedures.
Risk committees may wish to retain evidence that severe interest-rate, income-reduction, unemployment, and liquidity-buffer scenarios are considered in mortgage portfolio risk management, while distinguishing scenario-based vulnerabilities from actual current borrower distress.
Firms should avoid describing the approximately 4,000-household figure as a forecast of current arrears or as an individually identified list of affected customers.
What changed
No binding regulatory requirement, threshold, reporting obligation, or enforcement measure was introduced by this parliamentary reply. MAS confirmed that financial institutions monitor repayment performance and engage borrowers showing signs of financial stress, with assistance tailored to individual circumstances. HDB-financed borrowers may approach HDB for restructuring discussions, bank-financed borrowers may approach their banks, and borrowers already experiencing debt repayment difficulties may seek counselling and debt-management guidance from Credit Counselling Singapore.
Compliance impact
The immediate compliance impact is low because the publication is a policy statement and does not amend legislation, MAS Notices, or binding supervisory requirements. Its practical significance is moderate for mortgage lenders: inadequate early-warning, customer-assistance, recordkeeping, or referral processes could attract supervisory concern if borrowers move into arrears, particularly while MAS is highlighting uncertainty in interest rates and household incomes.
Oral reply to Parliamentary Question on early access to life insurance death benefits for seniors.
Why this matters
This is an oral parliamentary reply articulating MAS's policy stance on a proposed product feature (early death benefit access for seniors). The government declines the proposal, reaffirming that life insurance death benefits are designed to be paid only upon the insured event, and directs stakeholders to existing...
DFSA Issues Feedback Statement on Consultation Paper No. 174
AI Analysis
The DFSA has finalised part of Consultation Paper No. 174, addressing credit rating agency requirements and prudential reporting, while deferring the Crypto and Investment Token proposals for later consideration. PIB amendments took effect on 2 October 2026, and related COB amendments will take effect on 1 January 2027, requiring affected DIFC firms to assess both immediate and upcoming rulebook changes.
Key dates
2026-07-09
DFSA issued Consultation Paper No. 174 for public consultation.
2026-08-24 Deadline
Public-comment deadline identified in independent commentary on CP 174.
2026-10-01
DFSA published the feedback statement and the relevant final rule-making instruments.
2026-10-02
PIB Rule-Making Instrument No. 443 of 2026 came into force, implementing final prudential-reporting amendments.
2027-01-01
COB Rule-Making Instrument No. 444 of 2026 comes into force, implementing final COB amendments relevant to the CP 174 workstream.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to obtain and review PIB Rule-Making Instrument No. 443 of 2026 and its appendices, identifying changes to applicable prudential reporting forms, data fields, validation controls and submission procedures.
Affected PIB firms should consider testing reporting systems and reconciliations against the amended requirements and documenting ownership for any revised regulatory returns that are already effective.
Credit rating agencies may wish to map existing independence, conflict-of-interest, employee-related restriction and rating-announcement disclosure controls against COB Rule-Making Instrument No. 444 of 2026 before its 1 January 2027 commencement.
Firms should distinguish the final PIB and COB amendments from the still-pending Crypto and Investment Token proposals and avoid treating the latter as current DFSA requirements.
Governance and regulatory-change teams may wish to retain the CP 174 feedback statement, final instruments and archived prior rulebook versions to evidence implementation decisions and change impact assessments.
What changed
The DFSA published final rule-making instruments for amendments arising from CP 174. The PIB Rule-Making Instrument No. 443 of 2026, covering prudential reporting requirements, came into force on 2 October 2026. The COB Rule-Making Instrument No. 444 of 2026, which contains final amendments relevant to the credit rating agency framework, will come into force on 1 January 2027.
Compliance impact
The PIB changes are already binding and may affect regulatory reporting production, data governance, reconciliations and supervisory interactions. The COB changes create a near-term implementation requirement for affected credit rating agencies and other firms within scope; non-compliance could expose firms to DFSA supervisory action, although the publication does not describe specific sanctions or enforcement consequences.
Met een DSI-registratie kunnen beleggingsprofessionals laten zien dat ze vakbekwaam zijn. Deze registratie is geen verplichting, maar wél een manier om te voldoen aan de vakbekwaamheidsvereisten die door de Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) wordt erkend en dat blijft de komende jaren ook zo. Want de AFM en Stichting…
Why this matters
The AFM announces a renewed covenant with DSI (professional competency registration body) governing how investment professionals demonstrate competency. The update is substantive—it reflects an effectiveness audit, introduces new quality assurance arrangements, and updates regulatory references—but does not impose new...
ESMA calls for changes to make MiCA clearer, safer and ready for emerging services 30 September 2026 Digital Finance and Innovation Investor protection The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has responded to the European Commission’s public…
Why this matters
This is a formal ESMA policy statement proposing substantive amendments to MiCA covering investor protection (marketing rules, cost transparency, staking/lending disclosure), supervisory powers (fraud detection, third-country enforcement, stablecoin compliance), DeFi classification, and tokenised securities...
We have finalised rules requiring listed companies to report against UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS), on a comply or explain basis. ... Read PS26/19 (PDF)Why we are making changesWe are replacing the existing climate-reporting rules for listed issuers with requirements aligned with the UK-endorsed…
AI Analysis
The FCA has finalised FCA 2026/56, replacing the TCFD-aligned listed-company climate disclosure regime with UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS), the UK-endorsed version of the ISSB Standards. In-scope issuers must report against UK SRS 1 and UK SRS 2 on a comply-or-explain basis for accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2027, with first reporting expected in 2028.
Key dates
2026-09-30
FCA published PS26/19 and the final UK Listing Rules (Sustainability Reporting Standards Disclosure) Instrument 2026.
2026-10-28 Deadline
Deadline for responses to the FCA consultation on the proposed Technical Note supporting proportionate application of the comply-or-explain approach.
2027-01-01 Deadline
The final rules and UKLR TP 16 transitional provisions commence; they apply to accounting periods beginning on or after this date.
2028-01-01
First reporting year expected for issuers whose accounting periods begin on or after 1 January 2027, subject to the applicable accounting year-end and transitional reliefs.
2029-01-01 Deadline
For accounting periods beginning on or after this date, the Scope 3 and wider S1 climate-first transitional reliefs have expired and the full UK SRS comply-or-explain framework applies.
Suggested considerations
Listed issuers should map their listing category to the applicable rules in UKLR 6.6, 14.3, 15.3, 16.3 or 22.2 and confirm whether any investment entity, shell-company or other exclusion applies.
Compliance and reporting teams should perform a gap assessment against UK SRS S1 and UK SRS S2, including governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets, greenhouse-gas emissions and material sustainability-related risks and opportunities.
Issuers should establish a documented comply-or-explain process capable of identifying each omitted or partial disclosure, the reason for the omission and the remediation steps planned.
Finance and sustainability teams should plan for the one-year Scope 3 relief and the two-year S1 climate-first relief, including the required statement that the relevant UKLR and UK SRS transitional provisions are being used.
Issuers should assess whether UK SRS disclosures can be incorporated by cross-reference under UK SRS S1 Appendix B paragraphs B45 to B47 and ensure referenced documents are accessible and consistently controlled.
Governance teams should decide whether third-party assurance will be obtained and prepare the required assurance-provider, scope, level, standards and accessibility disclosures where assurance is used.
Issuers should document their position on climate-related transition plans and prepare the required location statement or explanation for non-publication.
Reporting teams should plan comparative information: no comparative information is required for the first period in which full or partial UK SRS disclosures are made, but comparatives are required from the immediately following accounting period.
What changed
The rules amend the FCA Handbook, including UKLR 6.6, 14.3, 15.3, 16.3 and 22.2, and ESG 2.2.6R. They require in-scope issuers to include UK SRS S2 climate-related disclosures and UK SRS S1 sustainability-related disclosures in their annual financial reports, or provide specified explanations where disclosures are absent or incomplete. Those explanations must identify the requirements or risks and opportunities not covered, explain why, and describe steps being taken or planned to enable future disclosure.
Compliance impact
This is a high-impact final rule for UK-listed issuers because it creates binding annual-report disclosure obligations across climate and wider sustainability matters, while replacing the existing TCFD framework. Although the comply-or-explain model provides flexibility, inadequate explanations, weak controls or unsupported sustainability data may impair investor decision-usefulness, comparability and market confidence and may attract FCA supervisory attention.
Bank of Canada and OSFI issue joint statement on use of the Bank's Standing Liquidity Facility
Why this matters
This is a joint statement from Bank of Canada and OSFI providing clarification on the purpose and use of the Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) for Lynx payment system participants.
ASIC strengthens AI trading safeguards and streamlines market integrity rules
Why this matters
ASIC has finalized amendments to the Market Integrity Rules (Securities Markets) 2017 and (Futures Markets) 2017 that strengthen mandatory controls for algorithmic and AI-enabled trading systems.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published its response to the European Commission’s targeted consultation on the review of the Regulation on Markets in Crypto-assets (MiCA). While MiCA has established a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto-asset activities in the European Union, the crypto sector…
Why this matters
This is a formal EBA response to the European Commission's targeted consultation on MiCA review, published 24 September 2026. It identifies concrete regulatory priorities including strengthening multi-issuer stablecoin schemes, clarifying crypto-asset classification scope, regulating crypto-asset lending and DeFi...
This is a regulatory speech and policy announcement from the SFC outlining a strategic action plan aligned with Hong Kong's Five-Year Plan. It provides regulatory signals on key development areas (RMB ecosystem, mutual market access, market innovation, risk monitoring) and governance priorities, but does not impose...
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could access finance more easily after the FCA sets out practical steps to help. An FCA review found no evidence that its regulation is a major barrier for SME access to finance. Many of the challenges identified relate to wider market, information and capability…
Why this matters
This is an informational speech outlining the FCA's review findings and next steps to support SME access to finance. The content signals regulatory direction on three specific areas: proportionate regulation via Consumer Credit Act reform, open finance development with SME lending as a use case, and monitoring of...
Our review finds FCA regulation is not a major barrier to SME finance, but highlights frictions we and others can help address. ... Read the Feedback Statement (PDF)Why we asked for feedbackSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – businesses with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover under £44m – account…
AI Analysis
The FCA published FS26/2 on 17 September 2026 following its review of whether FCA regulation restricts SME access to finance. It found no evidence that FCA regulation is a major barrier, but identified practical frictions involving duplicated customer checks, Consumer Credit Act compliance costs, application complexity, alternative-lending incentives and personal guarantees. The statement does not create new binding obligations; its significance lies in signalling forthcoming work on Consumer Credit Act reform, digital verification and open finance, with SME lending prioritised as an open-finance use case.
Key dates
2026-03-18
The FCA opened its call for input on whether FCA regulation affects SME access to finance.
2026-06-30
The FCA completed the call for input during Q2 2026.
2026-09-17
The FCA published Feedback Statement FS26/2: Supporting SME access to finance.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to record that FS26/2 is a feedback statement rather than a rule change and does not itself require immediate changes to policies, systems or customer communications.
Consumer-credit lenders may wish to map products involving sole traders and small partnerships against the £25,000 scope threshold and monitor HMT and FCA consultations on the reformed Consumer Credit Act framework.
Lenders may wish to review repeated customer-information requests, broker-to-lender information flows, declined-application explanations and referral or signposting arrangements to identify avoidable SME application friction.
Banks, building societies, lenders and brokers may wish to monitor the development of the voluntary UK Finance digital-verification service and assess whether proposed reliance models preserve customer due diligence, anti-money-laundering and other financial-crime obligations.
Lenders and brokers may wish to review commission arrangements, product governance and disclosures where remuneration could influence referrals of micro-SMEs to high-cost or short-term alternative lending, even where the relevant lending or broker activity is outside the FCA perimeter.
Accredited Growth Guarantee Scheme lenders may wish to monitor the mandatory code of conduct on personal guarantees and prepare to evidence clear communications and fair and transparent use of guarantees once applicable.
Open-finance, data and lending businesses may wish to monitor the FCA discussion paper planned for early 2027 and the Government’s planned 2027 consultation, particularly on consent, data access, interoperability, customer authentication and financial-crime controls.
Firms serving asset-light, newer, regional or underserved SMEs may wish to assess whether underwriting data, product design and application processes adequately address limited trading histories, intangible assets and restricted collateral.
What changed
FS26/2 introduces no new rules, reporting requirements, permissions or implementation deadlines. The FCA will monitor industry work on voluntary digital verification to reduce duplicated customer checks while preserving effective financial-crime controls and firms’ existing legal and regulatory obligations. It will support a more proportionate consumer-credit regime as part of Consumer Credit Act reform, including future consultation on FCA Handbook rules replacing or recasting certain statutory requirements.
Compliance impact
Immediate compliance impact is low because FS26/2 creates no binding obligations or new deadlines. The medium-term impact may be material for banks, consumer-credit lenders, brokers and data providers because future Consumer Credit Act reforms, digital-verification arrangements and open-finance rules could alter customer-check processes, information requirements, product governance and SME-lending operating models; existing financial-crime controls and retained Consumer Credit Act protections continue to apply.
Per 23 juli 2026 is de verplichte driejaarlijkse herbeoordeling van de betrouwbaarheid van (mede)beleidsbepalers bij financiële ondernemingen in Caribisch Nederland (Bonaire, St. Eustatius en Saba) vervallen.Financiële instellingen en betrokken (mede)beleidsbepalers blijven verplicht om relevante wijzigingen of nieuwe…
Why this matters
The update announces the elimination of mandatory three-yearly trustworthiness reassessments for policy-makers at financial institutions in Caribbean Netherlands (effective 23 July 2026), aligning local oversight with European Netherlands practice.
We have published final guidance on when cryptoasset activities need FCA authorisation. ... Read PS26/18 (PDF)Why we are changingFrom 25 October 2027, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 (the Cryptoasset Regulations) will introduce new regulated activities for cryptoassets into…
AI Analysis
The FCA published final perimeter guidance on 16 September 2026 explaining when cryptoasset activities will require UK authorisation under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026. From 25 October 2027, activities including cryptoasset safeguarding, trading-platform operation, dealing, arranging deals and arranging staking will generally require authorisation, while existing Money Laundering Regulations registrations and permissions will not convert automatically.
Key dates
2026-09-16
The FCA published PS26/18 and its final cryptoasset perimeter guidance.
2026-09-30
The application window opened for firms seeking to use the transitional arrangements.
2027-02-28 Deadline
The application window closes for firms wishing to use the transitional arrangements.
2027-10-25
The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026 introduce the new regulated cryptoasset activities into the FCA perimeter.
Suggested considerations
Firms should map each current and planned cryptoasset service against the PERG 18 regulated-activity analysis, including whether the activity is conducted in the UK and by way of business.
Firms registered under the Money Laundering Regulations should assess separately whether FCA authorisation or a variation of permission is required, because existing registration does not convert automatically into authorisation.
Existing FCA-authorised firms should review their permissions and consider whether a variation of permission will be needed for cryptoasset activities.
Firms intending to rely on transitional or savings arrangements should assess eligibility and submit an application within the 30 September 2026 to 28 February 2027 application window.
Compliance teams may wish to inventory custodial wallets, trading venues, brokerage and arranging models, staking services, stablecoin issuance, lending products, market-making and technology or infrastructure services.
Firms should review UK territoriality, customer location, solicitation, marketing and operating-model assumptions, particularly for overseas businesses serving UK consumers.
Firms should monitor the FCA's further consultation on amendments to the perimeter guidance and reassess their analysis when the underlying regulations and final amended guidance change.
Applicants should prepare governance, business-model, financial, operational, safeguarding, systems and controls material expected for authorisation and may wish to obtain independent legal and compliance advice.
What changed
The FCA has finalised new PERG 18 guidance on determining whether a cryptoasset activity is regulated, whether it is carried on in the UK, whether it is carried on by way of business, and whether an exemption or transitional provision applies. The perimeter covers activities such as issuing qualifying stablecoins, operating cryptoasset trading platforms, dealing in or arranging deals in cryptoassets, safeguarding cryptoassets and arranging cryptoasset staking.
Compliance impact
This is a high-impact perimeter development because firms conducting covered cryptoasset activities by way of business in the UK may need new FCA authorisation or a variation of permission, and existing MLR registration will not be sufficient. Operating without the required permission after 25 October 2027 could constitute unauthorised activity, while failure to apply within the transitional window may remove access to relevant savings or transitional protections.
The FSA has published its strategic priorities roadmap for the fiscal year July 2026–June 2027. The content provided is a bare announcement with links to PDF summaries and related Cabinet Secretariat materials on asset management promotion.
This is an update to an existing statement (originally 30 August 2024, updated 11 September 2026) clarifying the data controller arrangement between CSSF and EBA for the EuReCA AML/CFT database in light of the new AMLA regulation (EU 2024/1620).
Backgrounder: Final Mortgage Insurer Capital Adequacy Test (MICAT) 2027
Why this matters
This is a final regulatory update from OSFI establishing new mandatory capital requirements under MICAT 2027. It introduces a new low-rise multi-unit residential construction category and adjusts risk weights (150% to 130% for low-rise; 150% maintained for high-rise), creating binding obligations for all mortgage...
Informs insurers on the issuance of the Response to Consultation Paper on the proposed changes to MAS Notice FHC-N133 on Valuation and Capital Framework for Designated Financial Holding Companies (Licensed Insurer).
Why this matters
This is a regulatory response document to a consultation on amendments to MAS Notice FHC-N133, which sets binding valuation and capital requirements for designated financial holding companies (licensed insurers).
OCC Acts to Improve Transparency and Consistency to Bank Enforcement and Supervisory Standards OCC issues two revised policies and procedures manuals; proposes amendments to Violations of Laws and Regulations framework WASHINGTON-The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today announced additional actions to…
AI Analysis
On August 27, 2026, the OCC revised its enforcement-action and Matters Requiring Attention (MRA) policies and procedures manuals and publicly released PPM 5400-11 for the first time. The changes implement a risk-based supervisory framework centered on material financial risk and substantive legal violations, while a proposed rule would distinguish substantive violations from technical violations and limit MRAs for legal or regulatory violations primarily to the former.
Key dates
2026-08-27
OCC revised PPM 5310-3 and PPM 5400-11, issued Bulletin 2026-41, and published the proposed rulemaking notice concerning substantive and technical violations. The proposed rule's 30-day comment period begins only upon Federal Register publication.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to map open and recently closed MRAs and enforcement actions against the revised material-financial-risk threshold and the stated tailoring factors of capital structure, complexity, activities, and asset size.
Banks should consider documenting objective facts, legal violations, financial-risk consequences, customer impact, duration, frequency, severity, and remediation status supporting the classification and closure of examination findings.
Large and complex banks may wish to reassess escalation risk because the OCC expressly permits enforcement action for practices that might not produce the same response at a community bank.
Banks should consider reviewing corrective-action plans to confirm that each action is directly tied to a specific deficiency and is proportionate to the risk, while preserving evidence of substantial compliance with existing orders.
Compliance teams may wish to distinguish substantive violations from potential technical violations in issue-management inventories, including systemic or repeated conduct, customer restitution, books-and-records impacts, financial-condition effects, and insider misconduct.
Banks should consider monitoring the Federal Register for publication of the proposed rule and calculating the 30-day comment period from that publication date; affected institutions may wish to submit comments on the proposed substantive-versus-technical framework.
Examiners may identify lower-level weaknesses as supervisory observations rather than MRAs; banks should consider maintaining internal governance and risk records for such observations without assuming that the OCC may require a board action plan or track remediation in the same manner as an MRA.
What changed
Revised PPM 5310-3, Bank Enforcement Action and Related Matters, replaces the May 25, 2023 version and emphasizes escalation, tailoring, and focused corrective action. The OCC generally expects to provide a bank an opportunity to remediate deficiencies through supervision before taking an enforcement action under section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, although it retains authority to act at any time when legally supportable.
Compliance impact
The final policy changes reduce the likelihood that immaterial procedural, documentation, or nonfinancial weaknesses will independently generate an MRA or enforcement action, but they do not create a general safe harbor for legal violations or weak controls. Risk is likely to remain significant for large or complex banks, systemic or repeated violations, customer harm, inaccurate books and records, insider misconduct, and conduct that materially affects financial condition or the Deposit Insurance Fund.
The European Banking Authority (EBA) today published an Opinion in response to the observations made by European Parliament in its 2024 Discharge Report covering all agencies, including the EBA. The EBA welcomes the overall positive feedback from the European Parliament. Only nine observations of the Parliament’s…
Why this matters
This is a routine administrative communication from the EBA responding to parliamentary oversight. The content confirms that only nine observations mentioned the EBA and none warrant specific follow-up actions.
On 2026-08-14, the CFPB ceased discretionary publication of unverified consumer complaint narratives and associated data visualizations in the Consumer Complaint Database. The change reduces public-facing reputational exposure from individual allegations, but it does not reduce firms’ obligations to collect, investigate, and provide complete, accurate, and timely complaint responses because the CFPB will continue using complaint information for supervision, interagency sharing, and certain disclosures.
Key dates
2026-08-14
The CFPB announced and implemented the cessation of discretionary publication of complaint narratives and associated visualizations in the Consumer Complaint Database; previously published narratives remain subject to proactive FOIA Reading Room disclosure.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to continue treating CFPB complaints as supervisory and potential enforcement inputs, notwithstanding the removal of narratives from the public database.
Firms should consider maintaining controls that support complete, accurate, and timely responses to CFPB complaints, including documented investigation, escalation, remediation, and quality-assurance procedures.
Complaint-management owners may wish to monitor whether the removal of public narratives affects internal trend analysis and should preserve their own historical complaint records and supporting evidence.
Legal and regulatory affairs teams should consider reviewing previously published complaint narratives concerning the firm in the CFPB FOIA Reading Room and assessing whether existing disclosure, litigation, reputation, and remediation processes remain appropriate.
Firms should consider retaining evidence supporting complaint responses because complaint information may continue to be shared with prudential regulators, the FTC, and federal or state agencies, and may remain accessible through FOIA.
Management may wish to avoid interpreting the change as a basis for reducing complaint-governance staffing, monitoring, root-cause analysis, or board and senior-management reporting.
What changed
The CFPB will no longer publish consumer-submitted complaint narratives or related data visualizations in the Consumer Complaint Database. The Bureau characterizes publication of these materials as discretionary rather than statutorily required and states that the materials are unverified, potentially misleading, and not necessarily evidence of legal violations.
Compliance impact
The publication change is primarily a transparency and reputational-risk development rather than a new binding obligation for firms. Regulatory risk remains material because the CFPB will continue collecting and monitoring complaints, evaluating the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of company responses, sharing information with other regulators, and making certain information available through FOIA.
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA supports the consultation drafts presented by the Federal Council for the implementation, within the Banking Act and the Liquidity Ordinance, of the measures set out in the Federal Council’s “too big to fail” report and the PInC report on the CS crisis. These are…
ASIC launches small business strategy, helping to educate and protect small businesses
Why this matters
ASIC's announcement of a refreshed Small Business Strategy is informational/educational in nature, outlining support frameworks for small business directors and companies.
This is a policy slogan publication from JFSA outlining the agency's strategic vision for the financial sector, emphasizing trust, accessibility, and sustainable growth. It is informational/aspirational in nature rather than prescriptive regulation, applicable broadly across all financial institutions.
PRESS RELEASE | JULY 31, 2026 Joint Statement of Enforcement Policy in support of Venezuela’s Economic Recovery and Earthquake Relief Efforts WASHINGTON — The staffs of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union…
AI Analysis
The FDIC joined the Federal Reserve, NCUA, and OCC in a joint enforcement-policy statement supporting Venezuela-related humanitarian relief and economic recovery. The statement says supervised institutions will not be cited for or enforced against under BSA/AML requirements for authorized financial services in Venezuela during the stated window, provided they meet specified compliance conditions.
Key dates
2026-07-31
Policy becomes effective for authorized financial services provided to persons or entities located in Venezuela
2027-01-29 Deadline
End of the stated commitment period for the agencies’ enforcement-policy non-action position
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to confirm whether any Venezuela-related activity is specifically authorized under applicable OFAC sanctions licenses or other authorizations before relying on the policy.
Institutions may wish to verify that their BSA/AML compliance program is currently in place and that they continue to make reasonable efforts to meet applicable BSA Requirements during the relief period.
Firms may wish to review whether they have had a final BSA-related enforcement action by FinCEN or their primary federal regulator within the prior 24 months, as that would disqualify reliance on the commitment.
Operational teams may wish to document the basis for treating transactions as covered authorized financial services in Venezuela and retain evidence supporting reliance on the enforcement-policy statement.
What changed
The agencies announced a temporary enforcement-policy commitment covering authorized financial services provided to persons or entities located in Venezuela from 2026-07-31 through 2027-01-29. During that period, the agencies state they will not take supervisory action, including citing a violation of law, or pursue an enforcement action against a supervised financial institution for BSA Requirement issues arising from such authorized services. The commitment applies only if the institution is currently compliant with an applicable BSA compliance program requirement and continues to make...
Compliance impact
The policy materially reduces near-term BSA/AML enforcement risk for covered Venezuela-related humanitarian and recovery activity, but only for institutions that satisfy the stated eligibility conditions. The agencies explicitly preserve enforcement for knowing, willful, or intentional violations and for activity outside the scope of applicable OFAC authorization or the policy's conditions.
On July 31, 2026, staffs of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the National Credit Union Administration (collectively, the agencies), issued a statement of enforcement policy in support of U.S…
AI Analysis
On July 31, 2026, the OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, and NCUA issued a joint enforcement policy supporting humanitarian relief and financial stability efforts in Venezuela after major earthquakes. The policy matters because it creates a temporary enforcement safe harbor for eligible U.S. financial institutions that provide authorized financial services to persons or entities in Venezuela, reducing BSA-related supervisory risk during the relief period.
Key dates
2026-06-24
Venezuela experienced a pair of strong earthquakes off the northern coast west of Caracas, triggering the humanitarian crisis referenced by the agencies.
2026-07-27
FinCEN issued a substantively similar statement of enforcement policy regarding Venezuela-related financial services.
2026-07-31
The OCC, Federal Reserve, FDIC, and NCUA issued the joint enforcement policy.
2026-07-31
Start of the period during which authorized financial services to persons or entities in Venezuela are covered by the enforcement commitment.
2027-01-29 Deadline
End of the covered period for the joint enforcement commitment.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to confirm whether current Venezuela-related activity falls within the scope of authorized financial services covered by the joint statement.
Institutions may wish to verify that their BSA compliance program remains current and that ongoing controls reflect reasonable efforts to comply during the relief period.
Firms may wish to check whether they have had any final FinCEN or OCC enforcement action involving BSA violations in the prior 24 months before relying on the policy.
Sanctions teams may wish to confirm continued compliance with all applicable OFAC-administered sanctions regulations and authorizations.
Institutions with Venezuela exposure may wish to document how they will evidence reliance on the policy and monitor the January 29, 2027 end date.
What changed
The agencies stated that eligible U.S. financial institutions that choose to provide authorized financial services to persons or entities in Venezuela will not be subject to supervisory action, including a citation for a violation of law, or enforcement action related to a Bank Secrecy Act requirement, for those services. The commitment is limited to authorized financial services provided from 2026-07-31 through 2027-01-29 and applies only to statutes or regulations specifically addressed in the joint statement.
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is moderate but targeted: institutions that qualify gain temporary relief from BSA-related supervisory and enforcement action for Venezuela-related authorized services. The agencies still expect compliance with applicable BSA requirements and OFAC sanctions, and the safe harbor is unavailable to institutions with recent final BSA enforcement actions or inadequate ongoing compliance efforts.
EBA, EIOPA and ESMA call for enhanced governance and consistent supervision to mitigate ICT risks from frontier AI models in the EU financial sector 31 July 2026 Digital Finance and Innovation Joint Committee The European Supervisory Authorities (EBA, EIOPA and ESMA – the ESAs) today published a statement calling for…
Why this matters
This is a regulatory guidance statement from ESAs addressing AI-related cybersecurity risks across the EU financial sector. It provides supervisory expectations and governance recommendations for managing frontier AI model risks, applicable to all financial entities.
PRA Policy Statement PS18/26 finalises a package of **post‑implementation amendments to Solvency UK reporting and disclosure** and **targeted fixes to the Own Funds framework**, aligned to apply via a single taxonomy update for year‑end 2026 reporting. This matters because insurance compliance teams must adjust regulatory reporting, disclosure processes, and Own Funds permission practices to the updated PRA Rulebook, templates and expectations, including new data requirements for third‑country branches and removal of certain permission requirements.
Key dates
31 December 2024
– Solvency UK reporting and disclosure reforms (phase 2) come into effect for reporting and disclosure reference dates on or after 31 December 2024, including the new Bank of England insurance XBRL taxonomy and removal of the Regular Supervisory Report requirement
Year‑end 2026 reporting (reference date 31 December 2026)
– Implementation of PS18/26 reporting and disclosure changes and Own Funds consequential reporting via a **single updated insurance taxonomy**, covering all amended templates, instructions, MALIR XBRL submissions and new FSCS projected liabilities data for third‑country branches
30 September 2026
– Liquidity reporting requirements for UK Solvency UK insurers with large derivatives and securities financing transaction exposures come into force, requiring firms above specified thresholds to commence new liquidity reporting
31 December 2026 Deadline
– Revocation of certain Solvency UK Modifications by Consent (including the Reporting MbC) becomes effective; affected third‑country branches meeting premium or provisions thresholds must submit the full branch reporting suite
Suggested considerations
Review and map existing Solvency UK reporting processes, systems and controls against the amended Reporting Part of the PRA Rulebook and updated templates and instructions to identify required changes for year‑end 2026.
Engage with finance, risk and actuarial functions to implement the new XBRL‑based MALIR submission process, including testing data extraction, validation and filing workflows aligned to the updated insurance taxonomy.
Update internal Own Funds policies, classification procedures and governance documentation to reflect removal of specified permission requirements and the amended Own Funds Part and Group Supervision Part of the PRA Rulebook.
Reconfigure regulatory reporting infrastructure and vendor solutions to adopt the single updated PRA insurance XBRL taxonomy, ensuring all Solvency UK quantitative reporting templates and narrative disclosures are correctly mapped and validated.
For third‑country branch undertakings, design and implement processes to calculate and report projected FSCS liabilities data in line with PRA expectations, including data sourcing, modelling assumptions and internal review controls.
What changed
- The PRA finalises amendments to the Reporting Part of the PRA Rulebook to implement post‑implementation clarifications, consistency improvements and data quality enhancements to Solvency UK...
Reporting and disclosure templates and instructions are amended (including XBRL taxonomy changes) to reflect the refined Solvency UK reporting framework and consequential changes from the Own Funds...
The PRA confirms transfer of the Matching Adjustment Asset and Liability Information Return (MALIR) templates from Excel to XBRL submission format, to be incorporated into the single insurance...
The PRA updates Supervisory Statement 7/18 – Solvency II: Matching adjustment, including changes to the Matching Adjustment supplementary information form under Insurance rule permissions and...
The PRA introduces a new collection of projected Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) liabilities data from third‑country branch undertakings to support enhanced branch supervision.
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with the updated reporting, disclosure and Own Funds requirements may result in supervisory findings, requests for remediation, potential use of PRA powers, and could affect the reliability of Solvency Capital Requirement, Own Funds and liquidity assessments. Given the alignment of multiple reforms into a single year‑end 2026 taxonomy update, control failures could have multi‑template, group‑wide impact on regulatory submissions.
Think of the last time you made a payment, transferred money, used a banking app or logged on to online financial services. Did you give much thought to the infrastructure that makes those essential everyday transactions possible?Let’s be honest, you probably didn’t. Most people don’t – until something goes…
Why this matters
FCA speech announcing the live Critical Third Parties (CTP) oversight regime. Addresses system-wide operational resilience risks from common third-party service providers (cloud, technology, data providers). Informational content explaining new regulatory framework and expectations for firms and CTPs.
This is an official MAS monetary policy statement providing guidance on Singapore's economic outlook, inflation forecasts, and exchange rate policy adjustments. It is informational/regulatory guidance affecting all financial institutions operating in Singapore.
The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) and the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) support the European Commission’s proposals to strengthen supervisory convergence and market integration through the Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP). As discussions on the future of European…
AI Analysis
AFM and AMF have issued a joint position paper supporting the EU Commission’s Market Integration and Supervision Package (MISP) and setting out **five enablers** they see as conditions for effective, centralised EU‑level supervision by ESMA. This matters for compliance teams because it signals a medium‑term shift towards more **risk‑based, data‑driven, and ESMA‑centric supervision**, with impacts on funding models, governance expectations, data and reporting architecture, and enforcement across all major EU capital‑markets activities.
Key dates
22 July 2026
– AFM/AMF joint press release and position paper “From design to delivery – five enablers for effective European supervision” published, formally articulating the five enablers for centralised EU‑level supervision under the MISP
TBD (MISP legislative timeline)
– Specific dates for adoption and phased implementation of the Market Integration and Supervision Package will follow the EU legislative process; firms should anticipate a multi‑year transition with key milestones likely aligned to ESMA governance and funding reforms and initial scopes of direct supervision
Suggested considerations
Review and update the firm’s supervisory engagement strategy to include structured, proactive engagement with ESMA (not just NCAs), anticipating more direct interactions, thematic reviews, and data requests at EU level.
Assess current risk‑assessment and risk‑reporting frameworks to ensure they are compatible with a risk‑based and adaptive supervisory approach, including the ability to demonstrate how your firm identifies, measures, and mitigates emerging risks and new business models.
Conduct a gap analysis of data architecture and regulatory reporting, focusing on data quality, standardisation, and ability to feed into centralised EU data hubs; plan upgrades to systems, controls, and data governance to support ESMA‑level data centralisation.
Prepare for potential changes in supervisory levies and funding, by modelling the impact of EU‑level ESMA fees in addition to national contributions and incorporating them into medium‑term budgeting and pricing strategies.
Review governance arrangements, including board oversight, senior management responsibilities, and internal escalation processes, to ensure they can meet higher expectations of independent, transparent, and accountable governance under an ESMA‑centric model.
What changed
- ESMA is explicitly positioned as the central supervisory authority for selected capital‑markets activities, with national competent authorities (NCAs) expected to operate within a more formalised...
Supervisory objectives are reframed towards risk‑based and adaptive supervision, meaning firms should expect more differentiated supervisory intensity based on risk profile, business model, and...
The paper supports proportionate and transparent funding for ESMA, indicating a future where firms may be subject to EU‑level supervisory levies or fee structures in addition to national regimes,...
AFM and AMF call for independent, transparent, and accountable EU‑level supervisory governance, foreshadowing changes to ESMA’s decision‑making bodies, oversight processes, and accountability...
Data centralisation is identified as a core enabler, implying a stronger move towards EU‑wide data hubs, harmonised reporting formats, and central access for ESMA to transaction, position, and...
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is strategic rather than operational, but non‑compliance with future ESMA‑level requirements on data, governance, and cross‑border conduct could lead to EU‑wide enforcement, higher sanctions, and constraints on passporting and market access. Early alignment with the five enablers will position firms better for the coming supervisory architecture and reduce transition risk once binding rules are adopted.
Long term investment Shares The AMF publishes its response to the European Commission’s consultation on the review of the Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD)
AI Analysis
The AMF has submitted its response to the European Commission’s consultation on the review of the Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD), calling for stronger EU‑level harmonisation of shareholder rights, clearer rules on general meeting formats, and measures to support long‑term shareholder engagement. For compliance teams at listed issuers, intermediaries and custodians, this signals probable future changes to SRD II implementation that will affect general meeting organisation, shareholder identification and cross‑border voting processes across the EU.
Key dates
2007
– Original Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD I) adopted, establishing a basic EU framework for shareholder rights in listed companies
2017
– Revised Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD II) adopted, introducing measures to promote long‑term engagement, improve governance transparency and regulate exercise of shareholder rights, particularly at general meetings
20 July 2026
– AMF publishes its response to the European Commission’s consultation on the SRD review, setting out its expectations and proposals on harmonisation, meeting formats and shareholder engagement
Suggested considerations
Monitor the European Commission’s SRD review process closely, including the forthcoming legislative proposal and any related impact assessments, as these will determine concrete new obligations on meeting formats, shareholder identification and intermediaries’ duties.
Map current practices for general meetings (physical, hybrid, virtual‑only) against the AMF’s positions and SRD II requirements, and assess the extent to which existing procedures depend on national options or flexibilities that may be removed in a revised SRD.
For intermediaries and custodians, assess existing cross‑border voting, information transmission and shareholder identification processes to identify areas of fragmentation or reliance on local practices that may be affected by EU‑level harmonisation.
Engage with industry associations and local regulators to provide practical feedback on operational challenges (e.g. complex custody chains, vote confirmation, cut‑off times) so that future SRD revisions reflect realistic implementation constraints.
Update internal regulatory change logs and risk assessments to flag the SRD review as an emerging structural change to shareholder‑rights processes, with potential impacts on IT systems, contracts with intermediaries, and investor communications.
What changed
* The AMF advocates removal of many existing “Member State options” in SRD in order to achieve greater harmonisation of shareholder rights and issuer–shareholder interactions across the EU, reducing...
The AMF reiterates that long‑term shareholder engagement should remain a core objective of the revised SRD and that the framework should explicitly facilitate ongoing dialogue between issuers and...
The AMF supports the development of hybrid general meetings with real‑time remote voting as a structural feature of EU listed company governance, in line with the digitalisation of the economy and...
The AMF considers “closed‑door” general meetings (with no in‑person or remote shareholder participation) to be incompatible with SRD objectives and proposes that such formats be prohibited in the...
The AMF proposes that “virtual‑only” general meetings should remain possible but be subject to tighter regulation at EU level, including a requirement to obtain shareholders’ approval on a regular...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance risks are currently indirect but likely to become significant once the SRD review translates into binding EU law, with potential enforcement by national competent authorities on meeting formats, shareholder information flows and voting processes. Firms that rely heavily on flexible national options or minimalist SRD II implementation will face higher remediation and operational change costs if they delay preparation.
PRESS RELEASE | JULY 16, 2026 Agencies Issue Joint Statement on Handling of Highly Sensitive Information During Bank Examinations WASHINGTON — The federal bank regulatory agencies today issued a joint statement describing enhanced security procedures for review of highly sensitive information in connection with…
AI Analysis
On 2026-07-16, the FDIC, Federal Reserve Board, and OCC issued a joint statement on how exam teams should handle highly sensitive information during bank examinations. The key compliance issue is not a new substantive prudential rule, but a procedural shift toward tighter controls, including on-site review and other methods intended to reduce cybersecurity and confidentiality risk.
Key dates
2026-07-16
FDIC, Federal Reserve Board, and OCC issued the joint statement on handling highly sensitive information during examinations
2026-07-16 Deadline
Affected banks must be notified of any potential or confirmed material data breach involving confidential supervisory information no later than 72 hours after discovery, unless legal restrictions apply
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to review examination response procedures for materials that could be treated as highly sensitive, including technology diagrams, penetration test results, detailed control-weakness reports, and similar data.
Banks may wish to establish an internal process for flagging sensitive examination materials to examiners and documenting the basis for the sensitivity designation.
Firms may wish to confirm that exam-response playbooks address on-site review, direct-from-system access, redaction, and summarization options for especially sensitive documents.
Compliance and information security teams may wish to ensure escalation paths are ready if examiners disagree about whether information should receive enhanced handling.
Firms may wish to verify incident-response and supervisory-notification procedures can support rapid engagement if a material supervisory-information breach is suspected.
What changed
The agencies said they will use a coordinated approach to identify highly sensitive data and documents during examinations and will apply enhanced handling procedures to reduce cybersecurity risk while preserving examiner access. The statement says review may occur on-site rather than by transferring materials onto agency systems, and the agencies may use other protective methods such as direct digital review from the bank's own systems or review of redacted or summarized materials where appropriate.
Compliance impact
The publication signals heightened expectations for how examination materials are accessed, reviewed, and protected, especially where cybersecurity exposure is a concern. The agencies frame the change as a confidentiality and operational-control measure rather than a new regulatory standard, but a material breach can trigger prompt bank notification obligations and supervisory scrutiny.
ASIC's Statement of Intent is a high-level strategic document outlining regulatory approach and organizational objectives across all regulated sectors. It addresses governance, regulatory framework, and stakeholder relationships rather than specific compliance requirements.
PRA Policy Statement PS16/26 finalises rule changes across multiple CRR-related parts of the PRA Rulebook and Pillar 2 materials to align UK prudential rules with HM Treasury’s new Overseas Prudential Requirements Regime (OPRR), effective 1 January 2027. The changes are primarily technical and clarificatory but have direct implications for how UK banks and PRA-designated investment firms treat and report overseas exposures, including institutions, public sector entities, covered bonds, and large exposures, once CRR equivalence provisions are replaced by the OPRR.
Key dates
Early July 2026
- PRA publishes PS16/26, confirming final rule changes to accommodate the OPRR and indicating that final rules have been made on the understanding that the OPRR statutory instrument will be made and in force prior to 1 January 2027
Q3 2026
- HM Treasury is expected to make the OPRR statutory instrument, with the PRA indicating it will amend or revoke its final rules if the instrument is amended prior to being made or is not made
02 July 2026
- HM Treasury lays before Parliament the Overseas Prudential Requirements Regime (Credit Institutions and Investment Firms) Regulations 2026, which will replace relevant UK CRR equivalence provisions as the statutory OPRR framework
01 January 2027
- The Overseas Prudential Requirements Regime (Credit Institutions and Investment Firms) Regulations 2026 come into force and the PRA’s new rules under PS16/26 take effect, coinciding with the PRA’s broader implementation of the Basel 3.1 standards; from this date, UK CRR equivalence provisions are revoked and replaced by the OPRR framework and associated PRA Rulebook changes
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal capital models and Standardised Approach calculations for credit risk to ensure the classification and risk‑weighting of overseas exposures reflect the new OPRR‑linked definitions (e.g. treatment as “institutions” versus “corporates”) from 01 January 2027.
Update ICAAP methodologies, risk appetite statements, and SREP documentation (including for SDDTs) to reflect the continued 100% risk weight for overseas public sector entities in non‑designated jurisdictions and any changes to the treatment of overseas covered bonds, institutions, and exchanges.
Amend Pillar 2 reporting processes and templates, including FSA076 Pillar 2 Credit Risk Standardised Approach returns, to align data capture and reporting with the revised definitions, risk weights, and categorisation of overseas exposures under the PRA’s updated Rulebook and Statements of Policy.
What changed
- The PRA Rulebook is amended across core CRR Parts (including Glossary, Credit Risk – General Provisions, Standardised Approach, IRB, Credit Risk Mitigation, Securitisation, Counterparty Credit...
Under the Standardised Approach to credit risk, the treatment of exposures to overseas credit institutions and designated investment firms is aligned to OPRR designations so that favourable...
The PRA restates and preserves the 100% risk-weight requirement for exposures to overseas public sector entities (PSEs) in non-designated (non‑equivalent) jurisdictions, maintaining alignment with...
Large Exposures rules are amended so that exposures to overseas credit institutions and investment firms qualify as “institution” exposures only where HM Treasury has determined the jurisdiction’s...
Compliance impact
Non-compliance could result in mis-stated risk-weighted assets, incorrect large exposure reporting, and flawed ICAAP submissions, exposing firms to supervisory findings, remediation requirements, and potential capital add-ons. Given the changes apply at the core of credit risk, large exposures, and Pillar 2 frameworks, failure to implement them properly may materially affect firms’ regulatory capital ratios and their ability to demonstrate robust prudential management.
CBI publication of feedback statement on UCITS regulations and performance fee guidance. This is informational regulatory guidance affecting investment managers and UCITS funds. No immediate compliance deadline indicated, making this a news/guidance update rather than urgent enforcement action.
PS17/26 confirms the Bank of England’s and PRA’s final **fees and levies rates for 2026/27**, including a 3% overall increase in the Bank’s core levies (within CPI) but a small **reduction** in the PRA levy and a clarified mechanism for the “Cost of Transition” away from the legacy Cash Ratio Deposit (CRD) model. For compliance and finance teams in PRA‑regulated firms, this directly affects **prudential fee budgets, cost allocation models, and forecasting**, and requires understanding of the new transition adjustment that can materially change the Bank of England Levy as interest rates move.
Key dates
March 2024
– Legacy Cash Ratio Deposit (CRD) non‑interest‑bearing balances are converted into remunerated central bank reserves and the corresponding gilts portfolio is transferred to the Bank’s Banking Department, triggering the start of the Cost of Transition mechanism
17 April 2026
– PRA publishes CP7/26 “Regulated fees and levies: Rates proposals 2026/27”, consulting on draft fee rates, AFR and TFR for the 2026/27 fee year
15 May 2026 Deadline
– Deadline for firms to submit consultation responses on CP7/26 to the PRA
Early July 2026
– PRA publishes PS17/26 setting the final regulated fees and levies, including final 2026/27 PRA Levy, FMI Levy, Bank of England Levy amounts, and the application of the Cost of Transition mechanism for the 2026/27 fee year
From July 2026
– FCA/PRA joint invoicing cycle for 2026/27 periodic fees and levies begins; firms start to receive invoices incorporating the PRA Levy, Bank of England Levy, FMI Levy, and related statutory levies for the 2026/27 fee year
Suggested considerations
Review the PS17/26 final numbers and tables to identify your firm’s applicable PRA fee‑block(s), the applicable Bank of England Levy and FMI Levy components, and quantify the 2026/27 impact relative to 2025/26.
Update internal regulatory fee and levy forecasts, budgets, and accrual models to incorporate the 3% increase in core Bank levies, the 1% reduction in the PRA Levy, and any firm‑specific changes driven by business volumes or fee‑block allocations.
For treasury and finance teams, model the Cost of Transition by stress‑testing scenarios where Bank Rate is above or below the legacy CRD gilt return, to understand potential upward or downward adjustments to the Bank of England Levy and reflect this in multi‑year financial planning.
Ensure that board and relevant governance committees (e.g. Audit Committee, Risk Committee) are briefed on the 2026/27 levy changes, including the Cost of Transition mechanism, and that any material budget variances versus prior plans are explained and approved.
For firms previously affected by the CRD scheme, update internal regulatory funding documentation and policies to remove references to CRD funding and to describe the new levy‑based and Cost of Transition arrangements, ensuring consistency with PS17/26 and the 2024 Bank of England Levy Framework.
What changed
- The Bank’s core levies (Bank of England Levy, PRA Levy, FMI Levy, and other core levies) are constrained to grow by no more than CPI in 2026/27, with the Bank’s operating costs and associated core...
Within this 3% cap, the Bank of England Levy (operational policy cost component) is budgeted to increase from £328 million (2025/26 budget) to £353 million in 2026/27, an 8% year‑on‑year rise driven...
The PRA Levy is set to decrease slightly from £350 million (2025/26) to £345 million in 2026/27, a 1% reduction reflecting the PRA’s lower overall Total Funding Requirement and a different investment...
The FMI Levy is budgeted to increase from £17 million (2025/26 budget) to £18 million in 2026/27, representing a 3% rise in costs for financial market infrastructure supervision.
Overall, the Bank’s core levies (Bank of England Levy, PRA Levy, FMI Levy) are forecast to move from £695 million (2025/26 budget) to £715 million in 2026/27, a £20 million (3%) increase within the...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with PRA and Bank of England fee and levy obligations, including late or non‑payment, can result in surcharges, debt collection, restrictions on permissions, and potentially enforcement action, with reputational and prudential supervision consequences.
The PRA is clarifying that it could release other systemically important institution (O-SII) buffers in the event of systemic stress.
Why this matters
PRA statement on capital buffers is prudential guidance for banks. The provided content is primarily cookie policy boilerplate without substantive regulatory detail, classified as informational news requiring null urgency.
The Bank of England and the FCA have published a joint approach setting out how they and where relevant other authorities will work together to regulate systemic stablecoin issuers in the UK.It explains how responsibilities will be split between the authorities, and how UK stablecoin issuers may move from FCA…
AI Analysis
The FCA and Bank of England have set out a joint supervisory model for **systemic stablecoin issuers**, clarifying how firms will move from FCA-only oversight to joint regulation once HM Treasury designates them as systemic. This matters because UK‑based and non‑UK stablecoin issuers used for payments will face distinct prudential, conduct and structural requirements depending on whether they are non‑systemic (FCA only) or systemic (Bank of England plus FCA), with a managed transition between regimes.
Key dates
10 November 2025
- Bank of England consultation paper issued on the proposed regulatory framework for sterling‑denominated systemic stablecoins and systemic payment system operators
Late 2026
- Bank of England intends to finalise the Code of Practice and supporting materials by the end of 2026, confirming the prudential and structural regime for systemic stablecoins
From 2026
- UK introduces new regulatory authorisation requirements for stablecoin issuers, including FCA authorisation for qualifying issuance and custody activities
10 February 2026
- Consultation period closes for the Bank of England’s systemic stablecoin regime proposals
June 2026
- Bank of England publishes its policy statement and draft Code of Practice for systemic stablecoin issuers, setting out detailed prudential and backing‑asset rules and confirming joint work with the FCA on an end‑to‑end regime
Suggested considerations
Map all existing and planned sterling‑denominated stablecoin products against the UK’s systemic and non‑systemic regimes and assess whether their intended use in UK payments could trigger HM Treasury systemic recognition.
Initiate or update FCA authorisation applications for stablecoin issuance and cryptoasset custody activities, ensuring business models, governance and safeguarding arrangements align with CP25/14 and the forthcoming stablecoin regime.
Design and implement reserve‑management frameworks capable of maintaining backing assets equal to outstanding coins, in the proposed 70/30 mix between short‑term UK government debt and Bank of England deposits, with appropriate stress testing and liquidity risk oversight.
Establish statutory trust and segregation structures for backing assets and liquid‑asset reserves, including appointing UK‑authorised third‑party custodians and aligning documentation with FCA client‑asset‑style protections and coinholder proprietary claims.
Develop capital planning processes and ICAAP‑style assessments to meet the Bank of England’s requirements for capital against general business risk and dedicated reserves for financial risk and wind‑down costs.
What changed
- UK stablecoin issuance will be subject to a dual regulatory regime: non‑systemic stablecoins will be supervised solely by the FCA, while systemic stablecoins used for payments will be jointly...
Issuing a qualifying sterling‑denominated stablecoin in the UK will become a regulated activity, requiring FCA authorisation for non‑bank issuers and bringing them within the FCA’s prudential,...
HM Treasury will apply statutory systemic tests under the Banking Act (e.g. scale, interconnectedness, substitutability, impact on confidence in sterling) to decide whether a stablecoin payment...
Once recognised as systemic, stablecoin issuers and systemic payment system providers will fall under the Bank of England’s remit under the Banking Act 2009, including powers to obtain information,...
Systemic sterling‑denominated stablecoin issuers will be required to maintain backing reserves equal to all outstanding coins, with backing assets held on statutory trust in the UK and ring‑fenced...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with the emerging stablecoin regime may result in refusal of authorisation, enforcement directions, restrictions on issuance volumes, and potential wind‑down of stablecoin products, with significant balance‑sheet, reputational and operational consequences. Systemic issuers face heightened supervisory scrutiny and Banking Act enforcement powers, making early alignment with prudential, safeguarding and governance expectations critical.
When the FCA introduced the Consumer Duty, we set out to do something simple but transformative: ensure financial services work better for consumers. It was, by design, ambitious. And it is working. For example, most investment platforms have improved how they treat interest on clients’ cash and public confidence in…
AI Analysis
The FCA has announced a consultation to *refine the Consumer Duty* so that wholesale and largely business‑to‑business activities sit more clearly outside scope, while keeping the regime focused on retail consumer outcomes. This matters for compliance teams because it will reshape how the Duty applies to activities such as market making, custody, cross‑border business and multi‑party distribution chains, and will allow wholesale‑focused firms to recalibrate their frameworks, governance and monitoring obligations.
Key dates
31 July 2022
- FCA expected to make the original Consumer Duty rules following CP21/13, establishing the baseline regime and Principle 12
31 July 2023
- Consumer Duty comes into force for open (non‑closed‑book) products and services, triggering initial implementation across retail distribution chains
First half of 2026
- FCA planned consultation on revisions to the Consumer Duty scope and exemptions, including clearer delineation of business‑to‑business activity, reliance arrangements in distribution chains and removal of non‑UK customers from scope
Late 2026 (TBD)
- FCA to consult on further changes to client classification, sharpening the distinction between retail and professional markets and clarifying the treatment of sophisticated investors under the Consumer Duty
June 2026 (indicative)
- FCA expected to issue a consultation paper on Duty scope, proportionality and application to wholesale‑only and early‑chain firms, including potential changes to definitions and categorisation of manufacturers versus supporting firms
Suggested considerations
Map all business lines and activities to identify which are genuinely wholesale, early‑chain or business‑to‑business, and assess where the firm does or does not “shape consumer outcomes” at the end of the chain.
Review existing Consumer Duty scoping decisions for activities such as market making, custody, safeguarding and other wholesale services, and prepare to adjust those decisions in line with FCA case studies and clarified boundaries.
Re‑evaluate cross‑border business conducted for non‑UK clients to determine which products and services may fall outside the Consumer Duty under the proposed narrowed territorial scope, and document the basis for this classification.
Analyse multi‑party distribution chains and co‑manufacturing arrangements to clearly delineate responsibilities, reliance points and escalation mechanisms where other firms are expected to meet their Consumer Duty obligations.
Update product governance and Consumer Duty frameworks to distinguish between “manufacturers” and supporting firms, ensuring manufacturers continue to meet full Duty requirements while supporting firms apply Principle 12 and cross‑cutting rules proportionately.
What changed
- The FCA is consulting on clearer scope boundaries for the Consumer Duty to confirm that wholesale, business‑to‑business activities that do not shape retail consumer outcomes should normally be out...
The FCA will provide case studies and examples of “grey areas” to illustrate when activities are, and are not, caught by the Duty, particularly for early‑chain and wholesale‑only firms.
The FCA is clarifying accountability in multi‑firm arrangements, confirming that each firm is responsible for its own activities, can rely on other firms to meet their obligations where appropriate,...
The FCA plans to reduce duplication of obligations across distribution chains, including refining how the “look‑through” concept and co‑manufacturing apply where firms do not directly interact with...
The FCA is narrowing the territorial scope of the Consumer Duty so that business conducted for genuinely non‑UK customers will generally be out of scope, aligning with the principle that local...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance will remain serious for activities that truly affect retail consumer outcomes, with potential for enforcement action, redress requirements, supervisory scrutiny and reputational damage. However, for wholesale‑only and non‑UK business, firms that fail to realign their frameworks with the FCA’s refined scope may incur unnecessary compliance cost, competitive disadvantages and mis‑scoped regulatory risk.
BNPL can help people to manage their cash flow. It can allow them to spread the cost of purchases and smooth their finances. But, as with any borrowing, BNPL also carries risks. Let me clear about this: BNPL has an important role to play. We don’t want to reduce or remove access to credit, but to ensure it is offered…
Why this matters
FCA announcement introducing regulatory framework for Buy Now Pay Later providers. Establishes consumer protections including affordability checks, clearer information requirements, and access to Financial Ombudsman Service.
MiCA Financial services providers Europe & international ESMA Public statement: ESMA calls on unauthorised crypto-asset service providers to wind down orderly, while also safeguarding clients’ interests, as MiCA transitional period ends
Why this matters
ESMA public statement establishing mandatory wind-down requirements for unauthorised crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) following MiCA transitional period end on 1 July 2026.
The SFC has concluded its consultation and confirmed it will **implement an investor identification regime for Hong Kong’s exchange‑traded derivatives market (HKIDR‑DM)**, mirroring the existing HKIDR-S regime for the securities market. The regime will require derivatives brokers and proprietary traders to submit client identity data for on‑exchange futures and options orders into a central repository from **Q2 2028**, creating significant new data, systems, and privacy compliance obligations.
Key dates
22 September 2025
- SFC consultation on HKIDR‑DM published (page last updated on this date)
22 December 2025
- End of three‑month consultation period; last date for submissions to SFC on HKIDR‑DM proposals
Q2 2028
- Target implementation of HKIDR‑DM, concurrent with HKEX’s launch of the Orion Derivatives Platform, subject to completion of system testing and market rehearsals
Suggested considerations
Conduct a gap analysis comparing existing HKIDR‑S securities processes with expected HKIDR‑DM derivatives requirements, covering data fields, identifiers, and order tagging for futures and options.
Identify all business lines and systems that submit or route HKFE on‑exchange futures, options and stock options orders, and map required integration points with the HKIDR‑DM centralised data repository.
Design and implement or adapt a client identification and coding framework (e.g. investor IDs or broker‑to‑client numbers) for derivatives clients, ensuring consistency across securities and derivatives where clients trade both.
Review and update client onboarding, KYC and data collection forms to ensure capture of all identity information required under HKIDR‑DM, including for existing derivatives clients.
Develop and implement data protection and privacy controls to manage personal data submitted under HKIDR‑DM, including access controls, retention policies, and compliance with Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance.
What changed
- The SFC will implement the Hong Kong Investor Identification Regime for the Derivatives Market (HKIDR‑DM), extending investor ID requirements from securities (HKIDR‑S) to exchange‑traded...
HKIDR‑DM will apply to on‑exchange orders for futures contracts, options contracts and stock options executed through the trading system of Hong Kong Futures Exchange Limited (HKFE).
Licensed corporations and registered institutions which offer brokerage services or conduct proprietary trading in HKFE‑traded derivatives will be required to submit clients’ names and identity...
The operational model of HKIDR‑DM will be similar to HKIDR‑S, implying the use of unique client identifiers and order‑level tagging across trading, middle office and reporting systems.
Implementation of HKIDR‑DM is targeted for the second quarter of 2028, subject to successful completion of system testing and market rehearsals.
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with HKIDR‑DM is likely to result in an inability to submit derivatives orders to HKFE, regulatory breaches of SFC conduct requirements, and potential enforcement action, including fines and licence implications. The impact is therefore high for any firm active in Hong Kong’s exchange‑traded derivatives market, requiring multi‑year planning and investment in systems and controls.
The Bank of England has today published its policy statement and draft Code of Practice (rules) for systemic stablecoin issuers.
AI Analysis
The Bank of England has issued a policy statement and draft **Code of Practice** setting out the prudential and conduct framework for **sterling‑denominated systemic stablecoin issuers**, replacing earlier consultation proposals with a more business‑viable model. For compliance teams, the key changes are a revised backing‑asset composition (70% gilts / 30% BoE deposits vs the previously consulted 60%/40%) and a shift from **per‑holder limits** to a **£40 billion per‑coin issuance guardrail**, plus a clear timetable to finalise rules by end‑2026 and enable UK‑regulated systemic stablecoins from 2027.
Key dates
2024
- UK Government publishes its National Payments Vision, which provides the policy backdrop for a UK regime on digital money, including stablecoins
10 November 2025
- BoE consultation paper “Proposed regulatory regime for sterling‑denominated systemic stablecoins” is published, setting out the initial framework, including 60% cap on gilts and per‑holder limits
10 November 2025
- BoE Financial Stability Paper on “The role of holding limits for sterling‑denominated systemic stablecoins and a potential digital pound” is published, exploring the macro‑prudential rationale for quantitative limits
End of 2026
- BoE intends to finalise the Code of Practice and supporting rules for systemic sterling‑denominated stablecoins, following the consultation feedback
02 February 2026
- Sarah Breeden speech “Talking ’bout next generation” elaborates on digital money and the proposed stablecoin regime
Suggested considerations
Conduct a regulatory perimeter and recognition analysis to determine whether any issued or planned sterling‑denominated stablecoin could meet the Banking Act 2009 systemic tests and therefore fall under the BoE systemic stablecoin regime.
Review and update treasury and investment policies for stablecoin backing assets to ensure the portfolio structure can comply with the revised requirement of up to 70% short‑term UK government debt and the remainder in BoE deposits.
Perform detailed liquidity and redemption stress‑testing to evidence that central bank deposits and gilt portfolios can support prompt redemption under extreme but plausible scenarios while remaining within the £40 billion issuance guardrail.
Re‑calibrate business plans and revenue models for systemic stablecoin issuance to reflect the increased allowable share of interest‑bearing gilts, the absence of per‑holder limits, and continued constraints on paying interest to coinholders.
Design and implement governance and risk‑management frameworks that meet BoE expectations for systemic payment systems, including Board‑level oversight, risk appetite for digital money, and clear accountability for prudential and operational risks.
What changed
- The Bank of England has published a policy statement “Sterling‑denominated systemic stablecoins” (22 June 2026) and a draft Code of Practice that will constitute the primary rulebook for systemic...
The regime applies only to systemic sterling‑denominated stablecoins used for UK payments, i.e. stablecoins recognised as systemic under Banking Act 2009 tests where disruption could threaten UK...
The previous proposal that at least 40% of backing assets be unremunerated central bank deposits and up to 60% in short‑term UK government debt has been revised so that up to 70% of backing assets...
Backing assets must remain highly liquid and low‑risk, with central bank deposits used explicitly to support prompt redemption in stress, while the expanded gilt component is intended to improve the...
The BoE has dropped the earlier concept of temporary per‑holder limits (for example, £20,000 per individual and £10 million per business that were consulted on in 2025) and replaced them with a...
Compliance impact
The regime is high‑impact and prudentially stringent, and non‑compliance could result in refusal of systemic recognition, restrictions on issuance, enforcement actions under the Banking Act 2009, and forced wind‑down or restructuring of stablecoin businesses. Given the 2027 go‑live and the depth of prudential, safeguarding, and operational changes required, firms intending to issue or support systemic sterling stablecoins face a multi‑year transformation programme with material supervisory scrutiny.
We set out next steps on issuing new rules and guidance on Money Market Funds (MMFs), following Government plans to replace the current rules. On 15 May, the Government set out its expectation that it will lay legislation that will replace the UK Money Market Funds Regulation. Read the Government statement.Money…
AI Analysis
The FCA has confirmed its *updated approach* to UK money market fund (MMF) reforms, signalling that most detailed MMF requirements will move from retained EU law into FCA rules and guidance, with a new overarching “adequate resilience” liquidity rule and revised expectations for weekly liquid assets (WLA). The key compliance implication is a shift from hard, uniform liquidity minima to a combination of existing regulatory minima plus *supervisory expectations* of 40% WLA for stable NAV MMFs and 20% WLA for variable NAV MMFs, alongside confirmation that “delinking” and enhanced KYC measures will proceed.
Key dates
06 December 2023
– FCA publishes CP23/28 “Updating the regime for Money Market Funds,” consulting on higher liquidity minima (15% DLA and 50% WLA), delinking, enhanced KYC, and broader resilience measures
14 May 2026
– HM Treasury and the FCA publish the joint policy statement “Reforms to Money Market Fund Regulations,” confirming the Government’s intention to replace the UK MMFR with a new framework and that most MMF requirements will be set in FCA rules and guidance, including higher liquidity expectations
15 May 2026
– FCA issues its statement “FCA update on reforms to the UK Money Market Fund Regulation,” setting out updated proposals, including retention of current minimum WLA in rules, the new “adequate resilience” liquidity rule, and supervisory expectations of 40% WLA for stable NAV and 20% WLA for variable NAV MMFs, and indicating that CP23/28 measures such as delinking and enhanced KYC will largely be taken forward
Q4 2026
– The UK’s new MMF regime is expected to be in place, subject to Parliamentary approval of the enabling legislation, after which the detailed FCA rules and guidance (including the new resilience rule and WLA expectations) will apply
TBD (as soon as Parliamentary time allows)
– HM Treasury will lay the statutory instrument replacing the UK MMFR with the new legislative framework under which FCA rules and guidance for MMFs will be made
Suggested considerations
Conduct a comprehensive gap analysis comparing current MMF liquidity management frameworks (DLA, WLA, and stress‑testing assumptions) against the forthcoming FCA “adequate resilience” rule and the 40% (stable NAV) / 20% (variable NAV) WLA supervisory expectations.
Update MMF liquidity policies, board‑approved risk appetites, and internal limits to reflect the new WLA expectations, including documentation of when and how funds may temporarily operate below 40%/20% WLA and the governance required to approve such deviations.
Implement enhancements to liquidity monitoring and MI reporting so that portfolio managers, risk, and compliance have near‑real‑time visibility of DLA and WLA levels, breaches of internal and supervisory thresholds, and redemption‑driven use of liquidity buffers.
Review and update fund prospectuses, KIIDs/KIDs, and investor disclosures to ensure that descriptions of MMF liquidity management, the availability of liquidity management tools, and the operation of stable NAV structures are accurate under the new FCA regime.
Revise and strengthen investor KYC procedures for MMFs to capture concentration risks and potential correlated outflows, including segmentation of investor types, monitoring of large holders, and scenario analysis around key client redemption behaviour.
What changed
- The FCA will introduce a new overarching rule requiring that all UK‑domiciled MMFs must hold sufficient liquidity for “adequate resilience”, explicitly linking fund liquidity to financial stability...
The FCA will retain the current minimum WLA requirements from the existing UK Money Market Fund Regulation (UK MMFR) in its rules, instead of the previously consulted increases to 50% WLA for all...
The FCA will issue guidance setting out strong supervisory expectations that stable NAV MMFs should hold 40% WLA and variable NAV MMFs should hold 20% WLA to meet the new resilience requirement,...
The FCA makes clear that falling below the 40%/20% WLA supervisory expectations should only occur to meet redemption requests or due to factors beyond the manager’s control, and should be rare, with...
The FCA will retain existing minimum daily liquid asset (DLA) requirements from UK MMFR in rules and does not plan to issue new guidance on DLA levels, but expects DLA and WLA together to be...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with the new FCA MMF rules and supervisory expectations is likely to be treated as a significant prudential and conduct issue, exposing firms to supervisory intervention, potential restrictions on MMF operations, and enforcement action where governance or disclosure failures are identified. Given the explicit financial stability focus of these reforms, regulators can be expected to scrutinise outlier funds and firms that do not align internal practice with the 40%/20% WLA expectations or that cannot evidence robust liquidity and KYC frameworks.
Joint statement from the Bank of England and Financial Conduct Authority
Why this matters
This is an informational statement regarding the annual review of the BoE-FCA Memorandum of Understanding on financial market infrastructure supervision. It covers CCPs, RIEs, and RCSDs, which are capital markets infrastructure entities.
The SFC and HKMA have concluded a joint consultation to amend the Clearing Rules for OTC derivative transactions by standardising the calculation periods used to determine mandatory clearing obligations. From 1 March 2027, two fixed annual periods—1 March to 31 May and 1 September to 30 November—will be designated as calculation periods, replacing the current practice of periodically updating the list via legislative amendments. This change increases regulatory certainty and reduces the need for frequent rule‑changes, but requires firms to adjust their internal systems, position‑monitoring processes, and compliance calendars to align with the new permanent schedule.
Key dates
TBD (est. late 2026)
– SFC and HKMA proceed with the legislative process to introduce the proposed amendments to the Clearing Rules, following the conclusion of the consultation
29 January 2026
– SFC and HKMA issue the joint consultation paper on standardising calculation periods under the Clearing Rules
27 February 2026 Deadline
– Deadline for market participants to submit comments on the proposed amendments to the Clearing Rules
01 March 2027
– Proposed amendments to the Clearing Rules come into effect, designating 1 March to 31 May and 1 September to 30 November each year as standard calculation periods
Suggested considerations
Map current OTC derivative portfolios and position‑monitoring systems to the new standard calculation periods (1 March–31 May and 1 September–30 November) and update internal calendars and compliance checklists accordingly.
Review and amend internal policies, procedures, and control frameworks for mandatory clearing, including position‑sizing methodologies, threshold calculations, and record‑keeping requirements, to reflect the permanent calculation‑period structure.
Coordinate with legal and compliance teams to track the progress of the legislative amendments and ensure that internal implementation timelines align with the expected effective date of 1 March 2027.
Update trade capture, risk, and reporting systems to flag trades and positions that fall within the new calculation periods and to generate alerts when clearing thresholds are approached or breached.
Train relevant front‑office, middle‑office, and compliance staff on the new calculation‑period regime, including the timing of Prescribed Days and the implications for trade execution, clearing decisions, and documentation.
What changed
- The Clearing Rules will be amended to designate two fixed calendar periods each year—1 March to 31 May and 1 September to 30 November—as calculation periods for determining mandatory clearing...
The new standard calculation periods will apply from 1 March 2027 onwards, creating a permanent formulaic approach that generates future calculation periods without requiring further legislative...
The existing approach of periodically updating the list of calculation periods in the Clearing Rules via legislative amendments will be replaced by this once‑and‑for‑all standardisation.
The Prescribed Days associated with each calculation period will also be aligned with the new standard periods, providing greater clarity on when clearing obligations are triggered and when positions...
The change is intended to increase certainty for derivative dealers in identifying future calculation periods and to facilitate more effective internal planning and compliance monitoring.
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with the amended Clearing Rules could result in regulatory enforcement action, including fines, public censure, or restrictions on trading activities, as well as reputational damage and potential operational disruption if positions are not properly cleared within the prescribed periods. The shift to a permanent, formulaic approach also increases the importance of robust internal monitoring and governance, as firms will no longer be able to rely on ad hoc legislative updates to guide their compliance calendars.
The CFTC has rescinded its long‑standing **“no-deny” settlement policy** in Appendix A to Part 10, which had barred settlements where defendants wished to continue denying the Commission’s allegations. This change applies **both prospectively and retrospectively**, as the CFTC will no longer enforce existing no‑deny provisions in prior settlements, materially altering settlement dynamics, post‑settlement communications, and reputational risk management for CFTC‑regulated entities.
Key dates
1998
– CFTC adopts Appendix A to Part 10, establishing the policy of not accepting settlements where the respondent or defendant continues to deny the allegations
21 May 2026
– Federal Register publication date referenced in the CFTC’s final rule rescinding Appendix A to Part 10 (Rescission of Policy Regarding Denials in Settlements of Enforcement Actions, 91 FR 29892)
03 June 2026
– CFTC issues Press Release 9247‑26 publicly announcing that it has rescinded the policy and will not enforce existing no‑deny provisions
[Effective date of Federal Register publication – 21 May 2026]
– The rescission of Appendix A to Part 10 becomes effective as a final rule upon publication in the Federal Register; from this date, the CFTC will not apply the no‑deny policy in new settlements and will not enforce existing no‑deny clauses
Suggested considerations
Review all existing CFTC settlement orders, consent orders, and related agreements to identify any no‑deny or neither‑admit‑nor‑deny clauses and update internal records to reflect that the CFTC has stated it will not enforce those provisions.
Update internal enforcement and litigation playbooks to incorporate the new settlement flexibility, including explicit guidance that public denials post‑settlement may be possible but should be subject to legal and reputational risk review.
Revise board- and senior‑management reporting on CFTC enforcement risks and settlement strategy to reflect the rescission of the no‑deny policy and the availability of settlements without waiving the ability to contest allegations in public communications.
Implement or update communications and investor‑relations protocols governing post‑settlement statements, ensuring any public denials or clarifications are coordinated with legal, compliance, and, where relevant, parallel regulators or criminal authorities.
For ongoing CFTC investigations or settlement negotiations, instruct external and internal counsel to reassess settlement strategy, including whether to seek terms that preserve the firm’s ability to deny or contest aspects of the CFTC’s allegations after settlement.
What changed
- The CFTC has rescinded the policy in Appendix A to Part 10 that prevented the Commission from accepting settlement offers where a respondent or defendant continued to deny the allegations in a...
The CFTC will now accept settlements even where the settling party publicly denies or continues to deny the CFTC’s allegations, provided other settlement terms are satisfied.
The CFTC has stated that it will not enforce existing no-deny (neither‑admit‑nor‑deny) provisions in settlements that have already been entered.
If a settling party breaches an existing no-deny provision, the CFTC will not allege breach of contract, seek to reopen the matter, ask a district court to vacate the settlement, or reopen an...
The rescission does not alter the CFTC’s discretion to: - settle with defendants who decline to admit facts or liability; or - negotiate and require admissions of facts or liability in...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance arises less from violating the rescinded policy itself and more from mismanaging post‑settlement communications, which may create new litigation, regulatory, or disclosure risks if statements are misleading, inconsistent with other settlements, or inaccurate. Failure to update settlement and communications practices could undermine risk management, investor confidence, and relationships with multiple regulators, even if formal CFTC sanctions for “breaching” past no‑deny clauses are no longer expected.
The CFTC has issued a policy statement confirming that **perpetual contracts listed as futures on designated contract markets (DCMs) will be subject to case‑by‑case review under CFTC Regulation 40.3**, rather than being treated as a standard product class. The trigger is a contemporaneous CFTC order allowing a DCM to list a bitcoin spot‑referencing perpetual contract as a futures contract, while clarifying that perpetuals on other asset classes are not automatically covered and must be submitted for prior Commission review.
Key dates
29 May 2026
– CFTC issues the policy statement on listing of perpetual contracts and an order permitting a DCM to list a perpetual futures contract referencing the spot price of bitcoin
TBD (upon Federal Register publication)
– Policy statement is published in the Federal Register; from that point, DCMs and market participants can treat it as the Commission’s formal articulation of expectations for perpetual contract listings
Suggested considerations
DCMs intending to list new perpetual contracts must route proposed products that are not clearly covered by the existing bitcoin perpetual order through a Commission Regulation 40.3 case‑by‑case review process, and should build internal product‑approval workflows accordingly.
DCMs must enhance their surveillance, market‑integrity, and risk‑management frameworks for perpetual contracts, including monitoring of the referenced spot market, funding‑rate or cash‑flow mechanisms, and potential manipulation vectors stemming from the underlying asset.
FCMs and clearing members should identify client exposure to perpetual futures, review margin models and risk limits, and ensure that risk disclosures, product descriptions, and account‑opening documentation accurately reflect the regulatory status and unique risks of perpetual futures.
Compliance teams at DCMs and intermediaries should update policies and procedures for new product approval, explicitly flagging perpetual contracts as requiring heightened CFTC engagement and governance review before listing.
Legal and regulatory affairs teams should brief senior management and boards on the policy statement, emphasizing that future perpetual contracts on non‑bitcoin or non‑covered asset classes carry additional regulatory scrutiny and potential delays due to the required case‑by‑case review.
What changed
- The CFTC formally recognizes that perpetual contracts may be listed as “futures contracts” by DCMs, as evidenced by an order permitting listing of a perpetual contract referencing the spot price of...
The Commission states that perpetual contracts have “unique characteristics” that vary by underlying asset, and therefore they will not be treated as a homogeneous product category for listing...
For perpetual contracts referencing asset classes not covered by the contemporaneous bitcoin perpetual order, the Commission indicates that the appropriate path is a case‑by‑case review under CFTC...
The policy statement signals that DCMs should expect closer CFTC scrutiny of perpetual contract design, including settlement mechanisms and underlying market integrity, before new perpetuals (beyond...
The statement confirms that it is a policy statement rather than a binding rule, but it effectively sets Commission expectations for how DCMs must approach the listing of perpetual contracts going...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with the Commission’s articulated expectation to use Regulation 40.3 review for perpetual contracts outside the scope of the bitcoin perpetual order could lead to CFTC objections to product listings, enforcement actions, or mandated contract modifications or delistings. The impact is medium‑to‑high for DCMs and intermediaries involved in perpetual products, given the direct effect on product strategy, time‑to‑market, and potential litigation or supervisory risk if perpetuals are listed or operated inconsistently with the policy statement.
PS15/26 sets out the PRA’s final Phase 1 reforms to **Pillar 2A capital methodologies and reporting**, aligned with the UK’s Basel 3.1 implementation and intended to modernise how risks beyond Pillar 1 are captured. It introduces revised approaches and expectations across credit, operational, pension obligation, market and counterparty credit risk, plus substantial updates to ICAAP/SREP guidance and Pillar 2 reporting for both mainstream firms and SDDTs.
Key dates
22 May 2025
– PRA published CP12/25 launching Phase 1 of the Pillar 2A review and consulting on revised methodologies and reporting
05 September 2025
– Consultation period for CP12/25 closed, with industry feedback informing PS15/26
02 March 2026
– Changes relating to pension obligation risk and market/counterparty credit risk methodologies and associated reporting expectations take effect
01 January 2027
– Basel 3.1 standards are implemented in the UK and the retirement of the refined Pillar 2A methodology takes effect; Phase 1 Pillar 2A changes for credit and operational risk are aligned to this Basel 3.1 implementation date
2027 (TBD)
– PRA plans to publish a further consultation paper (Phase 2) on an in‑depth review of individual Pillar 2A methodologies
Suggested considerations
Map your firm’s current Pillar 2A capital framework against the updated SoP 5/15 and, where applicable, SoP 5/25 to identify methodology changes across credit, operational, pension, market and counterparty credit risk.
Update ICAAP methodologies, models and documentation to reflect revised PRA expectations, including new or enhanced use of credit risk and operational risk scenarios and any updated calibration standards.
Review and, where necessary, redesign ICAAP governance (board oversight, senior management ownership, model risk and validation frameworks) to ensure that new scenario‑driven and systematic Pillar 2A methodologies are subject to appropriate challenge and approval.
For firms with material sovereign, central bank, regional government or unconditionally cancellable retail exposures, implement the new systematic Pillar 2A credit risk methodologies and assess the impact on capital requirements and risk‑weighted exposure allocation.
For firms with significant operational risk, enhance scenario analysis frameworks to capture low‑frequency, high‑severity loss events at the PRA’s expected soundness level, and embed these outputs into ICAAP capital quantification.
What changed
- The PRA finalises amendments to the Reporting Pillar 2 Part of the PRA Rulebook, including updated Pillar 2 data items (FSA072–FSA076 and FSA081) and an updated Pillar 2 reporting schedule, with...
The PRA issues an updated Statement of Policy (SoP) 5/15 – The PRA’s methodologies for setting Pillar 2 capital, providing revised methodologies across credit, operational, pension obligation, market...
The PRA issues an updated SoP 5/25 – The PRA’s methodologies for setting Pillar 2 capital for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs), tailoring Pillar 2A approaches and expectations for SDDTs.
The PRA updates Supervisory Statement (SS) 31/15 – ICAAP and SREP, clarifying expectations on how firms should assess, document and justify Pillar 2A capital in ICAAPs, including how to reflect...
The PRA updates SS 4/25 – ICAAP and SREP for SDDTs, setting proportionate ICAAP expectations and aligning SDDT guidance with the revised Pillar 2A framework.
Compliance impact
The impact is high: the reforms change how Pillar 2A capital is calculated, justified and reported, with direct consequences for total capital requirements, ICAAP content and supervisory dialogue. Failure to implement the new methodologies and reporting expectations on time can lead to higher capital add‑ons, adverse SREP outcomes, supervisory remediation programmes and potential restrictions on distributions or business growth.
PRA Policy Statement PS14/26 finalises the restatement of CRR definitions into the PRA Rulebook Glossary, with consequential amendments across other Rulebook Parts and updates to SS15/13 on groups. For compliance teams, the key issue is transition planning: the remaining CRR definitions are being moved out of the CRR framework, and firms must ensure their policies, capital documentation, systems, and references align with the PRA Rulebook versions before the repeal of CRR Articles 4–5 takes effect on 1 January 2027.
Key dates
July 2025
- HM Treasury published its Policy Update on applying the FSMA model of regulation to the UK CRR and proposed revoking the remaining CRR provisions while restating only necessary definitions
July 2025
- PRA published CP19/25 proposing the transfer of CRR definitions into the PRA Rulebook Glossary and consequential amendments across the Rulebook
January 2026
- PRA published earlier final policy work on CRR restatement and related implementation measures, indicating the wider restatement programme was already underway
February 2026
- HM Treasury published a policy update confirming it would proceed largely as consulted on, with a change to the statutory definition of “securitisation” for consistency with PRA Basel 3.1 rules
February 2026
- The commencement statutory instrument revoking CRR Articles 4–5 was made, with effect from 1 January 2027
Suggested considerations
Review all internal policies, manuals, and regulatory interpretation documents that currently cite CRR Articles 4, 4A, 4B, or 5 and replace those references with the corresponding PRA Rulebook Glossary definitions.
Update capital adequacy, prudential reporting, and risk management systems to use the new PRA Rulebook terminology where definitions have moved from the CRR text.
Reconcile group supervision materials, governance papers, and consolidation analyses against the revised SS15/13 wording to ensure group structures are assessed using the updated definitions.
Map every affected business line and legal entity to determine which Rulebook Parts and counterparties rely on the transferred CRR definitions.
Test template agreements, customer disclosures, and internal controls for terminology drift where contractual drafting depends on CRR-defined concepts.
What changed
- The PRA has finalised new and restated PRA Rulebook Glossary definitions that replace the CRR definitions previously found in Articles 4, 4A, 4B and 5 for PRA Rulebook purposes.
The PRA has made consequential amendments across other Parts of the PRA Rulebook to align internal cross-references and terminology with the new glossary structure.
The PRA has updated Supervisory Statement SS15/13 – Groups to reflect the transfer of CRR definitions into the PRA Rulebook framework.
The PRA has stated that the vast majority of definitions are restated without substantive policy change, but some definitions were clarified for drafting consistency and readability.
HM Treasury has set the legislative timetable so that the relevant CRR Articles 4–5 will be revoked from 1 January 2027, while the statutory restatement of selected definitions was made in April 2026.
Compliance impact
The compliance impact is moderate to high because this is a definitional restatement rather than a wholesale policy rewrite, but it affects the legal basis of many prudential references and could create misstatement risk if firms continue to rely on revoked CRR text after 1 January 2027. Non-compliance may lead to inaccurate capital, governance, or perimeter analysis, and could trigger supervisory findings where firms have not updated systems, documentation, or controls to the new Rulebook structure.
The Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) have concluded their consultation on **new virtual asset (VA) advisory and management regimes**, confirming that these will be legislated under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (AMLO, Cap. 615) and aligned with existing Type 4 and Type 9 regimes under the Securities and Futures Ordinance. This materially expands Hong Kong’s VA perimeter: firms providing VA investment advice or VA portfolio management will be brought into a statutory licensing and AML/CTF framework comparable to traditional securities and asset management, with an expected bill to be introduced into LegCo in 2026.
Key dates
19 February 2025
- SFC issues its ASPIRe roadmap, with “Access” identified as one of five pillars and VA regulatory expansion flagged as a strategic priority
27 June 2025
- Consultation papers published on legislative proposals to regulate VA dealing and VA custodian service providers, setting the broader perimeter for VA intermediaries
24 December 2025
- Consultation conclusions issued on legislative proposals to regulate VA dealing and VA custodian service providers, confirming direction for those regimes
24 December 2025
- FSTB and SFC launch further consultation on VA advisory and VA management regimes, which has now concluded
2026 (TBD – bill introduction)
- FSTB and SFC aim to introduce a bill into the Legislative Council to establish VA advisory and VA management regimes under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615)
Suggested considerations
Conduct a gap analysis comparing current or planned virtual asset advisory and management activities against Type 4 and Type 9 requirements under the Securities and Futures Ordinance to identify where equivalent capabilities, controls and governance will be required under the new VA regimes.
Map all group entities and business lines that provide VA-related advice, research, recommendations or portfolio management to clients in or from Hong Kong, and determine which entities will need licensing or authorisation under the forthcoming AMLO-based regimes.
Initiate early engagement with the SFC (e.g. via pre-application meetings or WINGS enquiries) to clarify how existing licences, business models and cross-border arrangements will be treated under the new VA advisory and management regimes.
Review and, where necessary, enhance AML/CTF frameworks, including customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening and ongoing review procedures, to ensure they are robust enough for VA-specific risks anticipated under AMLO-based regulation.
Update internal policies and procedures on suitability, product due diligence, risk disclosure, conflicts of interest and best execution to explicitly cover VA advisory and VA management services in line with standards applied to traditional securities and funds.
What changed
- The Hong Kong Government and SFC have confirmed that dedicated regulatory regimes for VA advisory services and VA management services will be created under the Anti-Money Laundering and...
The regulatory scope and standards of the VA advisory regime will be aligned with Type 4 “advising on securities” regulated activity under the Securities and Futures Ordinance, applying a “same...
The regulatory scope and standards of the VA management regime will be aligned with Type 9 “asset management” regulated activity under the Securities and Futures Ordinance, implying broadly...
The consultation received broad market support across 51 responding stakeholders, and the SFC has treated this as a mandate to proceed to finalisation of the detailed legislative proposals and...
The new VA advisory and management regimes will sit alongside existing and proposed VA regimes for: VA trading platforms, stablecoin issuers, VA dealing and VA custody, forming an end-to-end...
Compliance impact
The impact is high: VA advisory and management activities that were previously in grey or partially covered areas will become explicitly regulated under AMLO, with enforcement, licensing and AML/CTF expectations aligned to traditional financial services.
The PRA’s Policy Statement PS13/26 finalises the CP20/25 proposals on UK branches of third‑country (re)insurers, including raising the subsidiarisation threshold, embedding existing reporting and investment waivers into the Rulebook, and updating supervisory expectations on ORSA and resolution. Compliance teams at third‑country branches must now recalibrate threshold monitoring, overhaul reporting processes, and update governance and documentation to align with the revised Third Country Branches and Reporting Parts of the PRA Rulebook, updated SSs, and new Statements of Policy. ---
Key dates
16 September 2025
– PRA publishes CP20/25, proposing changes to third‑country branch policy, including the higher subsidiarisation threshold and new reporting thresholds
16 December 2025
– Consultation period for CP20/25 closes; representations received from affected firms and stakeholders
Q1–Q2 2026
– PRA indicates that the increase in subsidiarisation threshold from £500 million to £600 million would take effect on publication of the relevant policy statement (PS13/26), with immediate relevance for threshold monitoring and branch vs subsidiary planning
31 December 2026
– Rulebook and policy changes (including amendments to the Third Country Branches and Reporting Parts, reinstatement of annual templates IR.19.01.01 and IR.20.01.01, embedded reporting thresholds, embedded pure reinsurance relief, updates to SS44/15, SS41/15, SS19/16, SoP6/24, SoP7/24, and SoP1/19, and disapplication/restatement of EIOPA Branch Guidelines) are scheduled to come into force
Suggested considerations
Assess current and projected FSCS‑covered UK branch liabilities against the new £600 million subsidiarisation threshold and implement or update a robust three‑year forecasting process to identify potential threshold breaches.
Update internal PRA notification procedures and early‑warning triggers so that the branch informs the PRA promptly if forecasts show FSCS‑covered liabilities could exceed the £600 million threshold within three years.
For branches approaching or exceeding the new threshold, initiate or refresh internal structural options analysis (branch vs subsidiary), including timeline, capital, governance, and operational impacts, and prepare for early engagement with the PRA on subsidiarisation expectations.
Map gross written premiums and branch provisions against the new £1 billion GWP and £2 billion provisions reporting thresholds and determine whether the branch will be subject to the full or reduced suite of third‑country branch regulatory reporting templates from 31 December 2026.
Redesign regulatory reporting processes, systems, and controls to align with the new reporting perimeter, including identifying which templates will be required, adjusting data capture, and ensuring capacity to produce reinstated templates IR.19.01.01 and IR.20.01.01 on an annual basis.
What changed
- The PRA confirms an increase in the third‑country branch subsidiarisation threshold for liabilities covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) from £500 million to £600 million,...
Third‑country branch undertakings are now explicitly required to notify the PRA where projections show their FSCS‑covered liabilities may exceed the £600 million subsidiarisation threshold within a...
The PRA embeds in the Rulebook new quantitative thresholds for regulatory reporting, replacing the existing modification by consent (MbC) under Solvency II Reporting 2.2(1) for third‑country...
Under the new regime, only branches (excluding pure reinsurance branches) with at least £1 billion gross written premiums or £2 billion in branch provisions (based on the prior year’s annual...
The PRA discontinues quarterly reporting for certain non‑life claims templates and reinstates two annual reporting templates (IR.19.01.01 – non‑life insurance claims and IR.20.01.01 – development of...
Compliance impact
The impact is material for all UK branches of third‑country (re)insurers, particularly those near the new subsidiarisation and reporting thresholds, with consequences including potential forced subsidiarisation, expanded reporting burdens, or supervisory challenge if expectations on forecasting, ORSA, or resolution planning are not met. Non‑compliance could trigger PRA supervisory interventions, restrictions on business, and increased scrutiny during authorisation and ongoing supervision.
Adgm Fsra Finalises Enhancements To Its Anti Money Laundering Framework
Why this matters
ADGM FSRA has finalized enhancements to its AML/CFT/CPF and sanctions compliance framework following consultation. The update reflects alignment with FATF recommendations and federal law developments.
On 19 May 2026, the CFTC Division of Enforcement issued a new cooperation advisory that supersedes all prior CFTC cooperation and self‑reporting advisories and policies. For compliance teams, this resets the playbook for how voluntary self‑reporting, cooperation, remediation, and restitution/disgorgement are assessed for mitigation credit, including a clarified path to potential declinations where specific conditions are met.
Key dates
19 May 2026
- CFTC Division of Enforcement issues the new cooperation advisory, which supersedes all prior cooperation and self‑reporting advisories and becomes the operative policy for ongoing and future enforcement matters
Suggested considerations
Identify and catalogue all existing internal policies, playbooks, and checklists relating to CFTC investigations, dawn raids, inquiries, self‑reporting, and cooperation, and amend them to reflect the new advisory’s superseding status.
Update the firm’s enforcement‑response framework to explicitly incorporate the new declination pathway, including clear decision criteria for when and how to voluntarily self‑report potential CFTC violations.
Establish or refine escalation triggers for potential insider trading, fraud, manipulation, and market abuse in CFTC‑regulated markets to ensure that issues can be investigated and elevated quickly enough to support “prompt” and “voluntary” self‑reporting.
Design and document a structured internal investigation protocol that can generate the level of factual development, analysis, and documentation needed to demonstrate “full cooperation,” including protocols for sharing findings, data, and analytics with the CFTC where appropriate.
Implement procedures to rapidly secure, preserve, and collect relevant trading records, communications (including messaging apps), surveillance alerts, and algorithmic trading data so that the firm can cooperate effectively and avoid any appearance of obstruction or delay.
What changed
- The CFTC Division of Enforcement has adopted a new, unified cooperation policy that expressly supersedes all prior Division cooperation and self‑reporting advisories (including the 2017 corporate...
The new advisory establishes a clear “declination pathway” under which, absent aggravating circumstances, a respondent that voluntarily self‑reports, fully cooperates, timely and appropriately...
The advisory formalizes that voluntary self‑reporting is a central prerequisite for the highest level of credit, distinguishing between cases with self‑reports (potential declination or high...
The policy confirms that “full cooperation” will be a necessary condition for a declination, which in practice will require proactive, resource‑intensive engagement with Enforcement beyond mere...
The advisory codifies that timely and appropriate remediation is a separate and indispensable requirement for top‑tier outcomes, emphasizing that firms must implement corrective measures before...
Compliance impact
The impact is high: the advisory reshapes incentives around self‑reporting and cooperation and directly affects whether firms can obtain declinations or material penalty reductions in CFTC enforcement actions. Failure to align investigation, remediation, and reporting practices with the new framework may result in higher civil monetary penalties, loss of declination eligibility, and more intrusive enforcement scrutiny.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today rescinded a policy, codified in Rule 202.5(e) of its informal rules of procedures, stating that when it chooses to settle an enforcement action in which a sanction is imposed, it will not settle unless the…
AI Analysis
The SEC has rescinded its long‑standing “no‑deny” settlement policy, previously codified in Rule 202.5(e) of the Commission’s Rules of Practice, which had prohibited settling respondents from publicly denying the Commission’s allegations in cases resolved on a “neither admit nor deny” basis. This materially alters how firms can speak about resolved SEC enforcement matters and will directly affect settlement negotiations, collateral consequences analysis, and post‑settlement communications and disclosure strategies.
Key dates
18 May 2026
- The SEC issues the press release announcing rescission of its “no‑deny” policy codified in Rule 202.5(e), signalling immediate policy change for new enforcement settlements
TBD
- Any subsequent SEC guidance, FAQs, or amendments to the Rules of Practice or Enforcement Manual that clarify how post‑settlement denials will be treated in future cases may be issued at a later date
Suggested considerations
Review existing internal playbooks for handling SEC investigations and settlements and update them to reflect the rescission of Rule 202.5(e), including how settlement language on admissions, denials, and public statements is negotiated.
For matters currently under SEC investigation or in active settlement negotiations, direct outside and in‑house counsel to reassess settlement strategy, including whether to seek greater flexibility for post‑settlement denials or clarifications in the consent language and undertakings.
Conduct an inventory of significant historical SEC settlements that included “no‑deny” provisions and identify where ongoing communications plans, disclosure narratives, or litigation strategies may be constrained by legacy language.
For high‑impact historical orders with restrictive “no‑deny” clauses, obtain legal advice on whether and how to approach the SEC about potential modification or clarification of those provisions in light of the Commission’s changed policy.
Train senior management, board members, and spokespersons on the revised SEC posture, emphasising that while denials may now be more permissible, inaccurate or overly aggressive denials could adversely affect ongoing private litigation, insurance recoveries, or relationships with other regulators.
What changed
- The SEC has rescinded the policy in Rule 202.5(e) of its informal Rules of Practice that conditioned settlements involving sanctions on the respondent’s agreement not to publicly deny the...
Settling parties in SEC enforcement actions may now have greater scope to make public statements that deny or contest aspects of the SEC’s allegations, subject to the specific language of each...
The traditional “neither admit nor deny” construct will no longer automatically include a built‑in prohibition on denials, which means the SEC staff will need to negotiate any desired limitations on...
Communications and disclosure provisions in SEC settlement papers (including “undertakings” and clauses governing press releases and investor communications) are likely to become more tailored and...
The rescission increases the importance of alignment between legal, compliance, and communications teams when crafting public statements following an SEC settlement, because statements that deny...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance will not typically arise from the policy rescission itself, but from making public statements that conflict with specific settlement terms, are misleading to investors, or undermine other legal obligations. Missteps in this area can trigger renewed SEC scrutiny, private securities litigation exposure, reputational damage, and potential challenges with insurers and other regulators.
The Treasury has published its policy statement today on reform of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (CCA). Reform of the CCA is an important step towards a more flexible regime that supports effective competition and innovation, while maintaining appropriate consumer protection both now and in the future. The proposals…
AI Analysis
HM Treasury has issued a policy statement on reform of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 (CCA), signalling a strategic shift from prescriptive, statute-based requirements towards an FCA rulebook-led regime for consumer credit. The FCA’s response confirms it will consult on moving key CCA elements into FCA rules and guidance, anchored in the Consumer Duty, which will materially reshape documentation, processes and conduct standards across the consumer credit lifecycle.
Key dates
TBD
– HM Treasury’s policy statement has been published, but no specific implementation dates for CCA reform or FCA rule changes are given in the FCA response
TBD
– FCA consultation(s) on key elements of the consumer credit framework are announced as forthcoming; exact dates are not yet specified
TBD
– Future milestones such as FCA Policy Statements, Handbook changes and statutory amendments will follow, but no indicative timetable is provided in the FCA response
Suggested considerations
Establish an internal CCA reform working group (legal, compliance, product, operations) to track HM Treasury and FCA publications on Consumer Credit Act reform and prepare coordinated responses.
Map all existing product lines and customer journeys against current CCA and CONC requirements to identify areas most likely to be affected if obligations move from legislation into FCA rules (e.g. pre‑contract disclosure, notices of sums in arrears, default notices, early settlement calculations).
Review your Consumer Duty implementation for consumer credit products (especially outcomes testing, fair value assessments and customer support processes) to ensure it can absorb additional or re‑framed requirements that may migrate from the CCA into the FCA Handbook.
Compile an inventory of CCA‑dependent documentation (agreements, pre‑contract information, statutory notices, arrears and default letters, early settlement communications) and assess the effort required to update them if the form or content requirements are recast in FCA rules.
Enhance regulatory horizon‑scanning processes to include systematic monitoring of HM Treasury CCA reform material and FCA consultations, ensuring early awareness of consultation questions and proposed Handbook text.
What changed
- The UK Government has confirmed a programme to reform the Consumer Credit Act 1974, moving away from detailed prescriptive legislative requirements towards a more flexible framework based on FCA...
The FCA has stated its intention to consult on “key elements” of the consumer credit framework that are currently in primary or secondary legislation, where it has the power to do so, covering the...
The Consumer Duty (Principle 12, PRIN 2A) is explicitly confirmed as the overarching framework for the future consumer credit regime, meaning consumer credit firms will be expected to demonstrate...
The FCA has signalled that existing consumer rights and protections under the CCA (including cancellation and withdrawal rights, termination, and early settlement rights) will be reviewed and...
Any new FCA rules arising from CCA reform will be supported by a formal cost–benefit analysis and shaped through stakeholder engagement, implying a structured consultation process (likely one or more...
Compliance impact
Non‑compliance with the eventual FCA rules replacing or supplementing CCA provisions will expose firms to supervisory intervention, enforcement action, consumer redress and potentially large remediation exercises under the Consumer Duty. Given the centrality of consumer credit to many business models and the likely breadth of changes, firms that do not prepare early may face significant operational, conduct and litigation risk.
Singapore, 15 May 2026…The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today released its response to the feedback on proposals to enhance the requirements for Product Highlights Sheets (PHS) and streamline the distribution safeguards for complex products.
Singapore, 30 April 2026… The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today issued its response to the public consultation on proposed amendments to the Securities and Futures Act 2001 (SFA) to facilitate dual listing arrangements on the Singapore Exchange (SGX). The proposed regulatory framework supports the…
This regulatory update from the ECB Governing Council focuses on proposals to boost the competitiveness of the EU banking sector, including measures to simplify banking rules, enhance cross-border integration, and strengthen bank resilience.
Read the Monetary Policy Statement for April 2026.
Why this matters
This monetary policy statement from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is relevant for banks, wealth managers, and asset managers operating in Singapore. It discusses changes to the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) policy, which impacts prudential requirements and operational...
The Central Bank of Ireland today announced details of a targeted amendment to the mortgage measures that will exempt certain principal home bridging loans from the Loan-to-Income (LTI) limit . The Loan-to-Value (LTV) limit will continue to apply to these products, and all other elements of the mortgage measures…
AI Analysis
The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) has announced a targeted amendment exempting certain principal home bridging loans from the Loan-to-Income (LTI) limit while retaining the Loan-to-Value (LTV) limit and all other mortgage measures unchanged, recognizing bridging finance as a growing market feature repaid via property sale proceeds rather than income. This matters for compliance professionals as it enables lenders to offer these short-term products (max 18 months) without LTI constraints, but requires reinforced underwriting, consumer protection, and ongoing CBI monitoring to maintain lending standards.
Key dates
08 April 2026
Announcement and effective date; CBI press release details the amendment, with immediate application implied for qualifying bridging loans (no explicit phase-in mentioned)
Suggested considerations
Update lending policies: Identify and classify principal home bridging loans (max 18 months, repayment from property sale, no capital repayments required during term) to apply LTI exemption but enforce 90% LTV.
Enhance underwriting: Conduct individual suitability and affordability assessments beyond macroprudential limits; do not rely solely on exemption.
Strengthen consumer protections: Fully inform borrowers of risks (e.g., sale delays, interest costs); ensure products suit circumstances per consumer protection rules.
Internal monitoring and reporting: Track bridging loan volumes within flexibility allowances; prepare for CBI inquiries as part of ongoing assessments.
Staff training and systems updates: Revise origination, disclosure, and compliance systems promptly to operationalize changes.
What changed
- Exemption from LTI limit: Principal home bridging loans—defined as short-term loans (maximum 18 months) enabling homeowners to buy a new principal home before selling their current property, repaid...
LTV limit retained: Maximum 90% LTV continues to apply to these loans, alongside the 15% flexibility allowance for first-time/second/subsequent buyer lending.
No other changes: All remaining mortgage measures, including consumer protection rules and lenders' prudent underwriting obligations, stay intact.
Monitoring commitment: CBI will track the exemption's operation within its regular mortgage measures assessments for unintended risks.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Effective immediately on announcement (08 April 2026), this enables new lending opportunities in a evolving market but demands swift policy tweaks, training, and risk controls to avoid consumer protection breaches or excessive risk-taking, with CBI monitoring for emerging issues. Non-compliance risks supervisory scrutiny, as measures reinforce macroprudential goals amid housing market pressures.
The PRA has finalized the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) Management Expenses Levy Limit (MELL) for 2026/27 at £113 million, effective April 1, 2026. This policy statement confirms the proposed budget following consultation, establishing the maximum amount that FSCS-levy-paying firms must fund for the compensation scheme's operating costs, with implications for all PRA and FCA-authorized firms across banking, insurance, and investment sectors.
Key dates
13 January 2026
- Consultation Paper CP1/26 published
10 February 2026 Deadline
- Consultation deadline
31 March 2026
- Policy Statement PS8/26 issued
1 April 2026
- MELL 2026/27 effective date; FSCS financial year begins
31 March 2027
- MELL 2026/27 expires; FSCS financial year ends
Suggested considerations
*Immediate compliance actions for affected firms:
*Budget planning: Incorporate the £113 million MELL into financial forecasting and levy allocation models for the 2026/27 financial year (April 1, 2026 onwards)
*Levy calculation: Ensure systems are updated to reflect the new budget allocation across PRA and FCA funding classes (detailed in Appendix 4 of CP1/26)
*Reserve provisioning: Account for the £5 million unlevied reserve in contingency planning, recognizing FSCS may levy additional funds at short notice for unforeseen costs
*RCF cost allocation: Confirm whether your firm is subject to the expanded RCF cost allocation (particularly relevant for credit unions, which raised concerns during consultation)
What changed
The final MELL for 2026/27 comprises:
Management expenses budget: £108 million (£4.4 million increase from 2025/26, broadly in line with inflation)
Unlevied reserve: £5 million (for unforeseen costs without requiring further consultation)
Total MELL: £113 million Budget allocation details:
Investment budget: £5.5 million (10% increase from 2025/26) supporting the FSCS' new five-year strategy launching in 2026/27
We are going ahead with a scheme to compensate motor finance customers who were treated unfairly. Courts have found that firms broke the law by failing to disclose important information to customers. An industry-wide scheme is the quickest and most cost effective way to deliver fair compensation.We had over 1,000…
AI Analysis
The FCA has confirmed an industry-wide redress scheme to compensate motor finance customers for unfair treatment due to inadequate disclosure of commissions and ties between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024, following court rulings on law-breaking practices. This matters as it imposes up to £9.1 billion in costs on lenders, mandates proactive customer identification and payouts, and aims for rapid resolution while providing finality for firms and market stability.
Key dates
6 April 2007
1 November 2024; Scope of agreements eligible for compensation
26 March 2020 Deadline
Cut-off for excluding high commission cases if clearly disclosed (firms must explain and allow FOS challenge)
2026 (this year)
Millions compensated
30 June 2026
End of implementation for 1 April 2014+ loans; lenders then have 3 months to notify complainants of redress
31 August 2026
End of implementation for 6 April 2007-31 March 2014 loans; lenders then have 3 months to notify complainants and 6 months for eligible non-complainants
Suggested considerations
Identify all in-scope agreements (2007-2024 with broker commissions); assess eligibility against tightened criteria (e.g., undisclosed DCA/high commission/tie).
Contact complainants within 3 months post-implementation; eligible non-complainants within 6 months; invite scheme participation (6-month consumer response window).
Calculate redress per formula (commission-based, capped, with interest); pay promptly, allowing set-off against customer debts where applicable.
Gather records now (FCA expectation pre-rules); handle exclusions/exceptions with explanations; prepare for FOS challenges on time-bars.
Brokers: Respond to lender information requests.
What changed
- Tightened eligibility: Excludes minimal commission agreements (£120 or less pre-1 April 2014; £150 or less post), zero APRs, unused DCAs, and contractual ties where lenders prove visible...
Two schemes: Separate for 6 April 2007-31 March 2014 and 1 April 2014-1 November 2024 to mitigate legal challenges on pre-2014 powers.
Compensation adjustments: Reflects higher 2007-2014 losses; capped in ~1/3 cases to avoid over-compensation.
Streamlined operations: Lenders contact only complainants or eligible non-complainants; no recorded delivery required, cutting delivery costs >40%.
Scope expansion: Covers DCAs, high commissions, and contractual ties under Consumer Credit Act 1974 ss.140A-C; includes deceased consumers.
Compliance impact
Urgency: Critical – Firms face immediate preparation needs (e.g., data gathering) ahead of mid-2026 implementation, with £9.1bn costs, mass customer outreach, and legal risks from dual schemes/challenges. Non-compliance risks enforcement, as FCA expects prompt action for market finality; delays could exceed £6bn in alternative complaint/court costs.
This regulatory update from the ECB is focused on streamlining the supervision of banks' internal models for credit risk, which is a key prudential requirement. It impacts banks, asset managers, and wealth managers that use internal models.
The Bank of England and Prudential Regulation Authority have finalised a package of changes to firms’ resolution reporting and disclosure requirements which reduces the burden of regulation while maintaining a robust and credible regime that supports growth and competition.
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the Bank of England streamlines reporting and disclosure requirements for the bank failure regime, which is relevant for banks and wealth managers. The changes aim to reduce regulatory burden while maintaining a robust resolution framework, which is a medium priority topic for these firms.
PS10/26 finalizes PRA proposals to raise the Resolution Assessment threshold from £50 billion to £100 billion in retail deposits and reduce recovery plan review frequency for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs) from annually to biennially, enhancing proportionality in resolution and recovery frameworks post-financial crisis. These changes reduce regulatory burden on smaller firms while maintaining safety and soundness, directly supporting PRA objectives of competitiveness and growth. Compliance teams must assess scope changes immediately to align reporting and planning cycles.
Key dates
1 April 2026
Effective date for PS10/26 changes, including new £100bn threshold and biennial recovery plan reviews for SDDTs
2 October 2026
Expected submission date for first Resolution Assessment reports for in-scope firms (as previously communicated by PRA)
11 June 2027
Expected publication date for first disclosures under amended threshold
Suggested considerations
Scope Assessment: Immediately review retail deposits as of 1 April 2026; firms newly in-scope (≥£100bn) await PRA communication on first report/disclosure dates and prepare accordingly.
Recovery Plans: SDDTs/SDDT groups update review cycles to biennial starting 1 April 2026; ensure plans meet SS9/17 standards for quality.
Reporting/Disclosure: In-scope firms align internal processes with Rulebook amendments (Appendices 2-4); test systems for new threshold.
Governance: Document compliance with updated frameworks; monitor for PRA threshold reviews and related PS9/26/PS11/26 implementations.
Monitoring: Track retail deposits quarterly to anticipate scope changes; engage PRA if nearing threshold.
What changed
- Resolution Assessment Threshold: Increased from £50 billion to £100 billion in retail deposits, limiting reporting and disclosure requirements under the Resolution Assessment Part of the PRA...
Recovery Plans Review Frequency: For SDDTs and SDDT consolidation entities, reduced from at least annually to at least every two years, aiming for higher quality plans with less frequent reviews.
Rulebook and Guidance Updates: Amendments to Resolution Assessment Part (Appendix 2), Recovery Plans Part (Appendix 3), and Supervisory Statement SS9/17 – Recovery planning (Appendix 4); no...
PRA Review Commitment: Threshold will be reviewed periodically (e.g., after reporting cycles or significant changes), but not indexed to GDP or on a fixed schedule as some respondents suggested.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Effective 1 April 2026 (imminent from March 2026), with first reports due 2 October 2026; firms between £50-100bn retail deposits gain immediate burden relief (exiting scope), while largest firms face no new burdens but must confirm ongoing compliance. Matters due to proportionality aligning with PRA growth objectives, reducing costs for mid-tier banks/building societies amid economic pressures, but requires swift deposit recalibration to avoid inadvertent non-compliance.
PS11/26 finalizes PRA rules enhancing Pillar 3 disclosures on resolvability resources (MREL), capital distribution constraints (CDCs), and disclosure basis for UK banks and building societies. It matters because it standardizes information to boost market discipline, user comparability, and confidence in orderly resolution, directly impacting financial stability and compliance reporting. No substantive changes from CP16/25 consultation, with minor clarifications only.
Key dates
17 March 2026
- PS11/26 and accompanying rule instruments (e.g., Disclosure (CRR) Instrument 2026) published
1 January 2027
- Policy effective date; rules apply from this date
H1 2027
- First disclosures under new policy published, covering period ending **31 December 2026** (annual/semi-annual as applicable)
Suggested considerations
Update Pillar 3 processes to use new MREL templates (Annex XXVII instructions), UK CC1 with CDC narrative, and basis statement (e.g., reference date, LEI, scope).
For CDC-subject firms: Prepare qualitative narrative on restriction impacts.
Ensure semi-annual disclosure of key metrics (Article 447 points a-g) where required.
Integrate into consolidated reporting for UK parents; test templates/instructions from appendices.
Review for alignment with broader CRR changes (e.g., Article 92a revocation).
What changed
- Standardized MREL disclosure templates: Replaces free-form disclosures with four new templates aligned to Basel BCBS TLAC formats (adapted for UK), expanding scope to more firms for consistency on...
Qualitative CDC narrative: Added to UK CC1 template for firms subject to CDCs, enabling market assessment of restriction impacts; removes obsolete Systemic Risk Buffer (SRB) disclosure post-O-SII...
Disclosure basis statement: Firms must specify their Pillar 3 regime (e.g., resolution entity, O-SII, large institution), frequency, and details like reference date, currency, LEI, accounting...
Minor amendments: Reflects HMT's revocation of CRR Article 92a; updates to Disclosure (CRR) and Reporting (CRR) Parts of PRA Rulebook, with semi-annual key metrics for certain firms.
No substantive policy changes post-consultation; costs/benefits assessment unchanged.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Effective 1 January 2027 requires immediate template/system updates for H1 2027 disclosures (year-end 2026 data), with standardized formats limiting flexibility and raising non-compliance risks to market discipline objectives. Impacts reporting teams, resolution planning, and investor relations; proportional design minimizes burden but demands proactive gap analysis given no transition grace beyond effective date.
PS9/26 finalizes targeted amendments to MREL reporting templates, including changes to MRL001 and MRL003 data elements and the deletion of MRL002, reducing reporting burdens while maintaining resolution planning oversight. This matters for compliance teams as it streamlines processes under the PRA's Future Banking Data programme, with implementation from 1 January 2027, enabling firms to reallocate resources efficiently.
Key dates
1 April 2026
- Partial revocation of UKTS 2018/1624 (COREP13), deleting certain templates ahead of April 2026 cycle for period ending 31 December 2025
1 April 2026 Deadline
- PS10/26 effective (related: Resolution Assessment threshold amendments, reports due 2 October 2026)
1 January 2027 Deadline
- Revised MRL001 and MRL003 templates effective; first submissions of 2026 Q4 data (ending 31 December 2026) due in **February 2027**
1 January 2027
- PS11/26 effective (related: disclosures from 2027 H1 for period ending 31 December 2026)
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal reporting systems to incorporate revised MRL001/MRL003 templates and deleted MRL002 by 1 January 2027.
Implement updated reporting instructions and SS19/13 amendments, including clarified scope of instruments in MRL templates.
Prepare for Q4 2026 data submission in February 2027 using new taxonomy (to be published shortly by PRA).
For firms with deleted COREP13 templates, cease submissions from April 2026 cycle.
Conduct gap analysis against SS19/13 changes and test processes for quarterly MREL reporting continuity.
What changed
- Amendments to data elements in the MREL resources template (MRL001) and MREL debt template (MRL003), with full deletion of the MREL resources forecast template (MRL002).
Consequential updates to reporting instructions (Appendix 2) and Supervisory Statement SS19/13 (Appendix 3), including relocation of instrument scope descriptions to reporting instructions for...
No changes to quarterly reporting frequency for MRL001/MRL003, despite industry requests for semi-annual alignment, to ensure monitoring of loss-absorbing capacity.
PRA to publish updated reporting taxonomy shortly.
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium – Changes reduce burden (net simplification, ~25% per industry feedback) but require system updates before 1 January 2027 submissions; non-compliance risks resolution planning scrutiny, though lead time mitigates immediate pressure. Matters for maintaining accurate MREL monitoring amid PRA's FBD efficiency drive.
PS7/26 finalizes PRA rules for standardized reporting of operational incidents and material third-party (MTP) arrangements, responding to CP17/24 consultation feedback by reducing firm burden through simplified templates and exclusions. This matters for compliance professionals as it enhances PRA oversight of operational resilience risks amid rising threats and third-party reliance, aligning with international standards like DORA and FSB FIRE while supporting identification of critical third parties (CTPs).
Key dates
December 2024
- CP17/24 consultation published
H1 2026
- Final PRA/FCA rules on operational incident and third-party reporting effective (per industry analysis)
30 working days post
incident resolution; - Submit final incident report update (extendable to 60 working days in complex cases)
Annual
- MTP register reporting (exact date not specified; aligns with notifications)
Suggested considerations
Identify and notify MTP arrangements via FCA Connect (excluding exemptions); maintain annual register with reduced fields.
Monitor/assess operational incidents against clarified thresholds (e.g., contagion, reputation); submit single report if met, within specified timelines.
Update policies per SS1/26 (thresholds) and SS2/21 (MTP identification).
Align reporting with PRA/FCA/Bank templates; use data for resilience prioritization.
For insurers: Integrate with ongoing operational resilience post-SS1/21 milestone (31 March 2025).
What changed
- MTP Reporting: Amended notification rule for clarity; scope excludes credit unions with <£50m assets and all third-country branches; separated register and notification templates with reduced data...
Operational Incident Reporting: Merged three-phased reports (initial, interim, final) into one simplified, aligned template across PRA/FCA/Bank; removed fields, made more optional; clarified...
Guidance Enhancements: Updated SS2/21 with MTP identification examples; SS1/26 clarifies threshold interpretation, early-stage assessments, and systemic impact expectations.
Alignment: Full harmonization with FCA/Bank and international standards (DORA, FSB FIRE). | Aspect | CP17/24 Proposal | PS7/26 Final Policy | |--------|------------------|---------------------| |...
Compliance impact
Urgency: High - Mandates new reporting infrastructure and processes amid rising operational threats; non-compliance risks supervisory action on resilience vulnerabilities. Reduced burden from CP mitigates costs, but timely implementation critical for PRA oversight and CTP identification; benefits (e.g., thematic analysis) outweigh costs per PRA.
We’ve reached a significant milestone in our joint work with the Financial Ombudsman Service and the Government to modernise the redress systemso that consumers get fair outcomes quicker and firms have greater clarity about how issues will be handled.We’re delivering change at speed by acting now within our current…
AI Analysis
The FCA, in collaboration with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and the Government, has announced modernization of the UK's financial redress system to accelerate consumer compensation and provide firms with greater regulatory clarity. This initiative represents a fundamental shift in how complaints are registered, assessed, and resolved, with immediate implementation underway within existing FCA powers and broader legislative reforms planned.
Key dates
Before end of 2026
- Consumers expected to begin receiving compensation under motor finance scheme
End of March 2026
- FCA expected to publish final rules and guidance for motor finance redress scheme, confirming scope, calculation methodologies, and timescales
31 May 2026 Deadline
- Complaints pause lifts for DCA-related motor finance complaints; standard 8-week response deadline resumes
Mid
2026 onwards; - Motor finance compensation payments anticipated to commence
Suggested considerations
*Immediate Operational Priorities (Pre-May 2026):
*Governance and Accountability
Appoint senior managers with explicit accountability for complaints handling and redress programmes
Establish board-level oversight structures with regular reporting on complaints volumes, redress calculations, and regulatory compliance
Document decision-making frameworks for complaint eligibility and dismissal grounds
What changed
The redress system modernization introduces several structural and procedural reforms: Registration Stage for Complaints A new formal registration stage has been introduced to standardize how complaints enter the system, improving tracking and early identification of systemic issues across firms and markets. Updated Dismissal Grounds The FCA has revised the criteria for dismissing complaints, providing clearer standards that should reduce disputes about complaint admissibility and improve consistency in decision-making. Enhanced Fair and Reasonable Test Guidance Clearer guidance on how the...
PS6/26 finalizes the PRA's policy on recognized exchanges (REs) under Article 4(1)(72)(c) of the UK CRR, shifting responsibility to firms for assessing exchange and asset liquidity conditions while restating main indices in the PRA Rulebook and revoking SS20/13. This matters for PRA-regulated firms as it enables more dynamic, risk-sensitive capital treatments for traded assets, potentially expanding eligible REs and supporting competitiveness without PRA pre-approval.
Key dates
18 June 2025 Deadline
- Consultation deadline for CP3/25 (closed; feedback incorporated in PS6/26)
1 July 2026
- Implementation date for new RE rules, main indices restatement, SS20/13 revocation, and related Rulebook amendments
1 January 2027
- Proposed implementation for Basel 3.1 changes, including higher risk equity exposure amendments (alongside broader standards)
Suggested considerations
Assess exchanges/assets: From 1 July 2026, evaluate overseas exchanges against new conditions (market structure, liquidity); document processes and update periodically; align with internal credit risk models.
Update policies/systems: Revise credit risk, counterparty credit risk, and CRM frameworks to incorporate firm-led RE assessments; remove references to revoked SS20/13.
Review exposures: Reassess equity exposures for Basel 3.1 alignment; test industry-shared assessments for accuracy and own-accountability.
Governance: Embed in risk management; prepare for PRA thematic reviews on implementation.
Reporting: No new forms, but ensure CRR disclosures reflect updated RE treatments.
What changed
- New Recognised Exchanges (CRR) Part in the PRA Rulebook: Specifies conditions for REs focusing on (i) exchange/market structure risk (e.g., operational robustness of clearing/settlement) and (ii)...
Restatement of main indices: List from Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/1646 moved to PRA Glossary without policy changes.
Amendment to 'higher risk equity exposure' definition: Aligns with Basel 3.1 near-final rules, excluding qualifying listed equities from higher risk weights under the standardized approach (ties to...
Revocation of SS20/13: Deletes the supervisory statement on third-country equivalence and REs; consequential amendments to Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR), Credit Risk Mitigation (CRR), and SDDT –...
Minor clarifications: Edits to scope and assessment of clearing/settlement mechanisms for overseas exchanges.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Effective 1 July 2026 (approx. 4 months from now), requiring immediate gap analysis, policy updates, and assessor training to avoid capital miscalculations or supervisory findings. Impacts prudential calculations directly, with flexibility reducing PRA burden but increasing firm accountability and review risks.
We'd also streamline the scheme, so millions get compensation in 2026. We're considering over 1,000 responses to our proposals for a compensation scheme for motor finance customers who were treated unfairly.If we proceed with a scheme, we are likely to make several changes. If we do go ahead, we expect to publish…
AI Analysis
The FCA is implementing a **streamlined motor finance compensation scheme** to address unfair commission disclosure practices, with final rules expected in late March 2026 and scheme launch in early 2026. This represents a major regulatory intervention affecting approximately 14 million motor finance agreements with estimated total redress costs of £8.2 billion, requiring immediate operational preparation by all lenders and finance providers.
Key dates
Early 2026
– Scheme implementation begins (exact date dependent on final rules publication)
Late March 2026
– FCA to publish final scheme rules (timing to be confirmed in advance, outside market hours)
31 May 2026 Deadline
– Motor finance complaints handling pause lifts; firms must be ready to respond to complaints outside the scheme
11 April 2031 Deadline
– Record retention deadline for all relevant scheme documentation
Three months from scheme launch
– Standard implementation period for lenders to contact prior complainants and provide compensation notifications
Suggested considerations
*Immediate Priorities (Q1 2026):
*Data Integrity Assessment: Conduct comprehensive audit of historic motor finance agreements to identify eligible customers and validate transactional data completeness, particularly for older agreements.
Calculating compensatory interest at BoE base rate + 1%
What changed
The FCA's streamlined approach introduces several material modifications to the original compensation scheme proposal: Process Streamlining
Automatic opt-in for prior complainants: Customers who complained before scheme launch will no longer be asked to opt out.
Immediate acceptance of offers: Consumers can accept redress offers immediately rather than waiting for final determinations.
Flexible communication channels: Firms are no longer required to use recorded delivery; alternative channels with fraud safeguards are permitted. Implementation Timeline
Three-month standard implementation period from scheme launch, with up to five months for older agreements to allow adequate data review and calculation accuracy.
PRA Policy Statement PS5/26 finalizes rules permitting UK credit unions to invest in Credit Union Service Organisations (CUSOs), expanding from the CP13/25 proposals to foster innovation, collaboration, and growth while managing prudential risks through safeguards like due diligence and investment caps. This matters as it enables credit unions—often smaller mutuals—to access shared services (e.g., HR, IT, compliance) via CUSOs, leveling the playing field against larger competitors and supporting the PRA's safety/soundness and competitiveness objectives.
Key dates
24 October 2025 Deadline
- Consultation response deadline for CP13/25
20 February 2026
- Publication date of PS5/26 (final policy)
~20 August 2026 Deadline
- Implementation deadline for SS2/23 CUSO expectations (six months from PS5/26 publication)
Suggested considerations
Review and update policies: Credit unions must conduct due diligence/risk assessments before any CUSO investment/use; implement conflict of interest policies, especially for non-credit union partnerships.
Ensure structural safeguards: Limit liability to investment amount; maintain legal/operational separation between credit union and CUSO; monitor aggregate investments ≤7.5% of capital.
Governance alignment: Decisions must prioritize member benefits per legislative objects; update internal investment rules to comply with amended PRA Rulebook (Credit Unions Part).
Implementation planning: Within six months, integrate SS2/23 expectations into operations; non-engaging credit unions need no action but should monitor for opportunities.
Reporting/oversight: Prepare for PRA supervision on CUSO risks; consider CBA updates if significantly impacting mutuals.
What changed
- Investment permission and cap increase: Credit unions can now invest in CUSOs using own capital, with the cap raised from 5% to 7.5% of total capital across all CUSOs (clarifications added on...
Expanded CUSO scope: CUSOs can now serve other UK-regulated mutuals (with Part 4A permission) beyond just credit unions; partnerships with non-credit unions permitted as owners, subject to safeguards.
Supervisory expectations in SS2/23: New chapter requires due diligence, risk analysis, limited liability to investment amount, legal/operational separation, conflict of interest policies, and...
Other updates: Chapter 17 of SS2/23 amended due to deletion of SS20/15; six-month implementation window for SS2/23 CUSO expectations.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Credit unions eyeing CUSOs for growth (e.g., shared services) must act promptly within the six-month window to avoid supervisory breaches, as this expands opportunities but introduces new prudential risks (e.g., ownership misalignment, capital exposure). Non-compliance risks heightened PRA scrutiny, especially post-PS26/25 mutual sector review; benefits justify costs only for opt-in firms, but proactive preparation ensures safety/soundness.
ESMA supports the simplified European Sustainability Reporting Standards and suggests targeted adjustments 18 February 2026 Issuer disclosure Press Releases Sustainable finance The European Securities and Markets Authority, the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has delivered its opinion on the draft…
AI Analysis
ESMA has issued an opinion supporting EFRAG's draft simplified European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the CSRD, praising improvements in readability and materiality focus while recommending targeted adjustments to enhance investor protection and financial stability. This matters for compliance professionals as it signals upcoming refinements to sustainability disclosures, with pragmatic supervision promised during the transition, potentially reducing short-term burdens but requiring monitoring of final delegated act adoption by summer 2026.
Key dates
Summer 2026
- European Commission aims to adopt revised ESRS into a delegated act, considering ESMA, EBA, EIOPA, ECB opinions
FY 2029 (reporting in 2030)
- End of certain temporary reliefs on quantitative information for anticipated financial effects (if ESMA recommendations adopted)
First years post
adoption (2026+); - Learning curve period with pragmatic NCAs supervision and flexibility in examinations
Suggested considerations
Monitor Commission process: Track final delegated act by summer 2026, incorporating ESMA/EBA/EIOPA/ECB opinions; review full ESMA opinion PDF for detailed recommendations.
Assess current reporting: Evaluate use of permanent/temporary reliefs (e.g., #3/#4 on quantitative data, #9/#11 on metrics) and prepare for time limits; refine transition plans for emissions/targets.
Enhance governance disclosures: Strengthen reporting on sustainability competences in management/supervisory bodies and financial resources for actions.
Review subsidiary exemptions: Check materiality exclusions for sustainability risks/opportunities in consolidated statements.
Prepare for supervision: Leverage NCAs flexibility during transition; integrate into data governance and risk systems per CSRD implementation trends.
What changed
The draft revised ESRS introduce simplifications such as improved readability, language, format, reduced volume of requirements, and a focus on material matters.
Introduce time limits to certain permanent reliefs (e.g., reliefs #3, #4, #9, #11 on quantitative information for anticipated financial effects until FY 2029, and metrics).
Refine requirements on transition plans (e.g., consistent disclosure of absolute financed emissions and contextual information).
Strengthen reporting on sustainability competences of administrative, management, and supervisory bodies.
Enhance transparency on financial resources allocated to sustainability actions.
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium - Not yet finalized (pending summer 2026 adoption), with pragmatic supervision promised, reducing immediate pressure; however, matters due to potential tightening of reliefs and disclosures impacting FY2026+ reporting, investor protection focus, and interoperability needs. Firms should prioritize if heavily using reliefs or with complex transition plans, as non-adjustment risks supervisory scrutiny post-learning curve.
This regulatory update outlines the FSCA's language policy and services, which is relevant for all regulated financial firms in South Africa. It covers topics related to consumer protection, reporting, and licensing, which are important for firms across the banking, investment, and insurance sectors.
Read the Monetary Policy Statement for January 2026.
Why this matters
This monetary policy statement from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is relevant for banks, asset managers, and wealth managers as it outlines changes to the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) policy band and expectations for economic growth and inflation.
FCA PS25/19 finalizes rules to streamline complaints reporting by replacing multiple existing returns with a single consolidated return, enhancing data quality, consistency, and vulnerability identification while reducing burdens. This matters for compliance teams as it mandates system and process updates to improve regulatory oversight and consumer protection, with implementation required within 12 months.
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal complaints recording, categorization, and reporting systems to align with new consolidated return, taxonomy, permission-based sections, and vulnerability data points.
Permission-based reporting: Firms report only sections relevant to their regulated permissions, targeting reporting to specific activities.
Simplified nil returns: Proportionate approach allows upfront selection for firms with no complaints.
Removal of group reporting: Shifts to individual legal entity-level reporting for greater transparency and oversight.
Updated complaints taxonomy: Revised categories reflect modern products/services, reducing use of 'Other' and improving categorization.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – With publication on 3 Dec 2025 and a 12-month implementation window (to ~Dec 2026), firms must prioritize system changes now, as the first period starts 1 Jan 2027; non-compliance risks enforcement, especially on vulnerability reporting and transparency, amid FCA's focus on consumer protection data quality.
The FCA's updated Statement of Policy outlines its approach to statutory investigations into possible regulatory failures under Part 5 of the Financial Services Act 2012, including criteria for triggering investigations and producing reports for HM Treasury. It matters because it clarifies when the FCA must self-scrutinize serious lapses in regulation, helping firms anticipate rare but high-profile probes into systemic issues affecting consumer protection, market integrity, or competition. The primary update adjusts inflation-linked monetary thresholds for assessing "significant" consumer detriment, ensuring the policy remains relevant.
Key dates
14 November 2025
- Publication date of updated Statement of Policy
Suggested considerations
Monitor for triggering events: Firms should self-assess operations against the two-part test, particularly potential consumer detriment exceeding £45m/£210m thresholds or impacts on FCA objectives.
Enhance internal reviews: Conduct "lessons learned" exercises post-incident to align with FCA's non-statutory approach, reducing escalation risk to formal probes.
No direct firm obligations: This is FCA policy on self-investigation; firms face no new reporting or compliance mandates but should prepare for FCA enquiries if events suggest regulatory system failures.
Document qualitative factors (e.g., vulnerability) in risk assessments to contextualize detriment.
What changed
- Inflation-adjusted monetary thresholds for consumer detriment: Detriment exceeding £210 million is more likely deemed "significant," while below £45 million is unlikely to meet the threshold unless...
No other substantive changes from the 2013 policy; refinements emphasize internal "lessons learned" reviews for non-statutory cases to avoid resource duplication in formal probes.
Clarified two-part statutory test: (1) Events indicating significant failure in consumer protection or adverse effects on integrity/competition objectives; (2) Events might not have occurred (or...
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium. This update signals FCA's commitment to accountability without imposing new firm-level rules, but it heightens focus on significant failures (£45m+ detriment), potentially leading to public reports exposing industry-wide gaps. Firms with high consumer exposure (e.g., retail-facing) should prioritize as probes, though rare, amplify reputational and remedial risks via Treasury publication.
The FCA's PS25/22 establishes a new regulatory framework for **targeted support**—a form of financial guidance that allows authorised firms to provide ready-made suggestions to consumer segments without conducting individualised suitability assessments. This framework addresses the UK's "advice gap" by enabling firms to deliver affordable, scalable financial support to an estimated 18 million consumers within a decade, fundamentally shifting how retail investors and pension savers access guidance on investment and retirement decisions.
Key dates
29/08/2025
- Consultation period closed (CP25/17 and CP25/26)
11/12/2025
- Policy Statement PS25/22 published with near-final rules
March 2026
- Firms may begin applying for targeted support permission
06/04/2026
- New rules expected to come into force (subject to Government legislation making targeted support a specified activity)
Suggested considerations
*Immediate (January–February 2026):
*Pre-Implementation (March 2026):
Consumer segment definitions with supporting rationale
Ready-made suggestion frameworks
Communication templates explaining the nature of targeted support
What changed
The framework introduces several material regulatory changes: New Specified Activity Status Targeted support will be designated as a new specified activity under the Regulated Activities Order, meaning only FCA-authorised firms can provide this service. This creates a regulatory boundary distinct from both unregulated guidance and regulated investment advice. Purpose Statement Refinement The FCA amended its original purpose statement from "better outcomes" to "better position" to clarify policy intent and avoid confusion with the Consumer Duty requirement for "good outcomes." This...
The FCA's PS25/23 finalizes guidance on tackling **non-financial misconduct (NFM)** in financial services, amending the COCON sourcebook to clarify how serious NFM breaches conduct rules and integrating it into FIT assessments for fitness and propriety. This matters because it aligns rules across banks and non-banks, enhances accountability, deters harmful workplace cultures, and supports FCA objectives like consumer protection and market integrity by ensuring consistent handling of issues like bullying or harassment.
Key dates
1 September 2026
- New COCON rules and guidance come into force (non-retrospective)
Suggested considerations
Review and update policies/handbooks to incorporate COCON/FIT guidance on NFM assessment, including flowcharts and factors for breaches/fitness.
Train HR, compliance, and managers on applying rules consistently, emphasizing seriousness thresholds, case-by-case judgement, and alignment with employment law/privacy.
Enhance regulatory reference processes to disclose past NFM; ensure reporting of serious breaches to FCA.
Assess current NFM handling for gaps (e.g., non-bank alignment); document decision-making to demonstrate fairness/decisiveness.
Firms not to investigate trivial/improbable allegations or overstep privacy laws.
What changed
- COCON amendments: Expands scope to non-banks for work-related serious NFM involving financial services personnel; provides flowcharts, examples, and factors (e.g., seriousness, pattern, dishonesty,...
FIT sourcebook updates: Integrates NFM into fit and proper tests for employees/senior personnel; firms assess case-by-case without investigating implausible claims or breaching privacy; removes...
Managerial accountability: Relative to knowledge/authority under ICR2; no expansion into purely private life.
Minor tweaks from CP25/18 feedback: New diagrams, employment law alignment, withdrawn burdensome factors.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – With rules effective 1 September 2026 (9+ months from today), firms have preparation time, but PS25/23 closes FCA's NFM policy work, shifting to supervision/enforcement focus; non-compliance risks enforcement, FIT failures, and reputational damage amid trust-building priorities in FCA Strategy 2025-2030.
This regulatory update from SAMA on changes to repo and reverse repo rates is relevant for banks and wealth managers as it impacts their funding and liquidity management. It also has implications for reporting and disclosure requirements.
We have issued a joint statement with the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) giving clarity on open banking pricing models. We and the PSR have issued the following statement (PDF).This confirms we will not, at this stage, prioritise a Competition Act 1998 (CA98) investigation into the centralised ‘access fee’ pricing…
AI Analysis
The FCA and PSR have jointly confirmed they will not prioritize a Competition Act 1998 investigation into the UK Payments Initiative's (UKPI) centralized access fee pricing model for commercial Variable Recurring Payments (cVRPs), with the CMA's concurrent agreement. This regulatory clarity provides temporary certainty for cVRP development ahead of anticipated legislation by end-2026, creating a critical window for firms to develop compliant commercial models in this emerging open banking technology.
Key dates
Q1 2026
- Expected first live UKPI cVRP payments
End of 2026
- Government anticipated to introduce legislative framework granting FCA new open banking powers
15 January 2026
- FCA and PSR wrote to CMA setting out their non-prioritization position
16 January 2026
- CMA confirmed alignment with FCA/PSR position on CA98 prioritization
20 January 2026
- Joint FCA/PSR statement issued on open banking pricing models
Suggested considerations
*For UKPI and participating firms:
*Governance documentation: Submit finalized governance documents to FCA/PSR as required during the interim period
*Pricing methodology transparency: Maintain detailed records of access fee pricing methodology and be prepared to demonstrate compliance with the agreed model; notify regulators of any material changes
*Phase 1/Wave 1 compliance: Ensure all cVRP offerings remain within the defined scope of lower-risk use cases during Phase 1/Wave 1
*Market engagement: Participate in FCA industry consultations throughout 2026 regarding progress, service delivery, and identified blockers
What changed
The regulatory statement establishes the following key positions:
Non-prioritization of CA98 investigation: The FCA, PSR, and CMA have jointly confirmed they will not prioritize competition law enforcement against UKPI's centralized access fee model for Phase...
Scope limitation: The regulatory clarity applies only to Phase 1/Wave 1 of UKPI's cVRP scheme, specifically addressing lower-risk payment use cases including regulated financial services, utilities,...
Temporary framework: This is explicitly a temporary measure pending legislative implementation under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 or other relevant legislation.
Regulatory monitoring obligations: During the interim period, the FCA and PSR will monitor market developments, review pricing methodology changes, and require UKPI to submit finalized governance...
The FCA and PSR have issued a joint statement providing clarity on open banking pricing models, specifically regarding the centralised 'access fee' pricing model for commercial Variable Recurring Payments (cVRPs). This statement confirms that they will not prioritize a Competition Act 1998 investigation into this model at this stage. The goal is to support the development of cVRPs, giving consumers more control over their payments and lowering processing fees for businesses.
What Changed
The FCA and PSR have clarified their enforcement position on the UKPI's proposal for a commercial model for cVRPs, indicating they will not prioritize a Competition Act 1998 investigation at this stage.
Suggested Considerations
Monitor market developments and updates on the legislative framework for open banking
Review and understand the implications of the centralised 'access fee' pricing model for cVRPs on your business operations
Ensure compliance with existing competition laws and regulations
Key Dates
31 Dec 2026DEADLINE
Expected implementation of the government's legislative framework for open banking
1 Jul 2027DEADLINE
End of the temporary measure if the legislative framework is not implemented
Potential Consequences
Enforcement action, fines, or other regulatory penalties for non-compliance with competition laws and regulations
PS1/26 represents the UK Prudential Regulation Authority's final implementation framework for the Basel 3.1 international banking standards, effective 1 January 2027 (with market risk internal models delayed to 1 January 2028). This policy statement establishes mandatory capital, credit risk, operational risk, and market risk requirements for UK-regulated banks, building societies, and investment firms, addressing post-financial crisis shortcomings in risk-weighted asset (RWA) calculations and capital adequacy frameworks.
Key dates
20 January 2026
– PRA publishes PS1/26 (final rules)
2026 ICAAP submission deadline Deadline
– Must include Basel 3.1/SDDT impact assessment
1 January 2027
– Effective date for Basel 3.1 implementation (credit risk, operational risk, reporting/disclosure, IRB scope restrictions, SDDT regime)
1 January 2027
– Interim period begins for FRTB-IMA transition; existing IMA permissions retained; out-of-scope positions move to ASA/SSA
1 January 2028
– FRTB-IMA implementation effective date
Suggested considerations
*Immediate (by mid-2026)
*Conduct impact assessment: Quantify RWA changes under Basel 3.1 across credit risk, operational risk, and market risk frameworks.
*Review IRB permissions: Identify exposures requiring reclassification (e.g., IPRE to HVCRE) and prepare permission amendment applications.
*Assess FRTB-IMA readiness: For firms with existing IMA permissions, evaluate transition strategy for out-of-scope positions moving to ASA/SSA during interim period (2027–2027).
*Arrange board-level assurance: Establish governance framework for board oversight of RWA calculation accuracy and Basel 3.1 implementation.
What changed
Credit Risk Framework
Implementation of restrictions on Internal Ratings-Based (IRB) approach scope, effective 1 January 2027, with firms required to reclassify certain exposures (e.g., slotting approach IPRE exposures)...
Minor clarifications and amendments to the Standardised Approach and credit risk mitigation techniques. Operational Risk
Updated Business Indicator Component (BIC) calculation methodology requiring inclusion of the current financial year in the three-year average calculation (or an estimate if unavailable).
Clarifications on legal risk treatment and loss data set dates. Market Risk (Fundamental Review of the Trading Book – FRTB)
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has published the final rules for the implementation of Basel 3.1 standards in the UK, with an effective date of January 1, 2027. The rules aim to enhance the resilience of banks and improve the stability of the financial system. Firms must review and update their policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the new requirements.
What Changed
The PRA has introduced new rules for the calculation of risk-weighted assets, including changes to the credit risk standardised approach, market risk framework, and operational risk requirements. The rules also include amendments to the definitions of probability of default, loss given default, and conversion factor.
Suggested Considerations
Review and update credit risk policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the new standardised approach
Assess the impact of the new market risk framework on trading book positions and capital requirements
Update operational risk management frameworks to reflect changes to the Business Indicator and subcomponents
Key Dates
1 Jan 2027DEADLINE
Basel 3.1 rules take effect
1 Jan 2028DEADLINE
Internal model approach for market risk takes effect
Potential Consequences
Non-compliance with the new rules may result in enforcement action, fines, or other regulatory penalties
The PRA's PS2/26 finalizes the retirement of the "refined methodology" in Pillar 2A capital requirements, effective 1 January 2027, aligning with Basel 3.1 implementation to simplify the framework by eliminating an operationally burdensome adjustment originally designed to address conservatism in the standardized approach (SA) to credit risk. This matters for compliance professionals as it reduces complexity in ICAAP and SREP processes, with expected neutral aggregate capital impact, though firm-specific effects may vary and require supervisory engagement.
Key dates
2024
CP9/24 consultation on streamlining Pillar 2A, including proposal to retire refined methodology
28 October 2025
PS18/25 near-final policy published
20 January 2026
PS2/26 final policy published
1 January 2027
Effective date for retirement of refined methodology; aligns with Basel 3.1 implementation (PS1/26), CRR restatement (PS3/26), and SDDT simplified regime (PS4/26)
Suggested considerations
Review and update ICAAP/SREP processes: Firms must integrate retirement into internal capital adequacy assessments, removing refined methodology calculations from Pillar 2A by 1 January 2027.
Recalculate Pillar 2A requirements: Model impacts using Basel 3.1 CR SA; engage PRA supervisors for firm-specific transitions if capital increases anticipated (PRA will apply judgement).
Align with related frameworks: Implement alongside Basel 3.1 (PS1/26), CRR restatement (PS3/26), and SDDT regime (PS4/26); update systems, policies, and disclosures accordingly.
Monitor firm-specific impacts: Conduct quantitative analysis per PRA's refreshed data; half of firms may see TCR reductions, but prepare for potential increases.
Governance and reporting: Board/Senior Managers to oversee transition; ensure 2027 SREP readiness without refined methodology proxy.
What changed
- Retirement of refined methodology: The refined methodology, introduced in 2018 (PS22/17) to mitigate perceived conservatism in CR SA relative to IRB for lower-risk assets, is fully retired from...
Amendments to SS31/15: Updates to Supervisory Statement 31/15 on ICAAP and SREP (Appendix 1), including minor prior adjustment to paragraph 5.12A for SDDTs reflecting no need for Interim Capital...
No further changes from near-final: Confirms PS18/25 near-final policy without alterations; defers certain IRRBB clarifications pending separate review.
Rationale: Reduces operational burden on firms and PRA; PRA analysis shows broadly neutral impact on total capital requirements (TCR), with ~50% of affected firms seeing reductions.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – With less than 11 months to 1 January 2027 effective date (as of January 2026 publication), firms face immediate need to remodel Pillar 2A under Basel 3.1, potentially affecting capital planning, stress testing, and regulatory reporting. Non-compliance risks supervisory scrutiny during SREP; benefits include workload simplification, but SA-only firms must validate no undue conservatism gaps versus IRB peers.
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has finalized the policy to retire the refined methodology to Pillar 2A, which will take effect on January 1, 2027, aligning with the implementation of the Basel 3.1 standards. This change affects all PRA-regulated banks, building societies, and designated investment firms. The refined methodology will no longer apply to these firms, including Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs), as they will be subject to the Basel 3.1 standardized approach to credit risk.
What Changed
The PRA has retired the refined methodology to Pillar 2A, which was previously used to determine capital requirements for firms. The new policy aligns with the Basel 3.1 standards and introduces a simplified capital regime for SDDTs.
Suggested Considerations
Update internal capital adequacy assessment processes (ICAAP) to reflect the changes to Pillar 2A
Review and implement the Basel 3.1 standardized approach to credit risk
Ensure compliance with the new simplified capital regime for SDDTs, if applicable
Key Dates
1 Jan 2027DEADLINE
The policy to retire the refined methodology to Pillar 2A takes effect, aligning with the implementation of the Basel 3.1 standards
Potential Consequences
Failure to comply with the new policy may result in enforcement action, fines, or other regulatory penalties
PS3/26 is the PRA's final policy statement restating the remaining provisions of the UK Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) into the PRA Rulebook and related policy materials, effective 1 January 2027. This represents a critical step in the UK's transition away from assimilated EU law, consolidating fragmented regulatory requirements into a unified domestic framework while introducing targeted amendments to securitisation rules and External Credit Assessment Institution (ECAI) mapping.
Key dates
28 October 2025
- PS19/25 (near-final policy) published
20 January 2026
- PS3/26 final policy statement published
1 January 2027
- All policies take effect; HM Treasury commencement regulations revoke relevant CRR provisions and replace them with PRA Rulebook rules and policy materials
Suggested considerations
*Immediate (by Q2 2026):
*Review applicability: Determine whether your firm falls within the scope of PS3/26 (banks, building societies, designated investment firms, or financial holding companies)
*Assess impact: Analyse how the restatement affects your current compliance framework, particularly regarding credit risk (IRB and standardised approaches), securitisation, and ECAI mapping
*Identify policy changes: Review the new and amended supervisory statements (SS3/24, SS4/24, SoP6/25, SoP7/25, SoP8/25) to understand expectations for permissions, waivers, and model approvals
*Medium-term (by Q3 2026):
What changed
Restatement of CRR Provisions The PRA is transferring remaining CRR requirements from the UK CRR into the PRA Rulebook without material changes to policy substance, except for targeted securitisation...
New: SS4/24 (Credit risk: Internal Ratings Based Approach), SS3/24 (Credit risk definition of default), SoP6/25 (Internal Model Method permissions), SoP7/25 (Securitisation waivers and permissions),...
Amended: SS15/13 (Groups), SS9/13 (Securitisation: Significant Risk Transfer), SS10/18 (Securitisation: General requirements), and SS10/13 (Credit risk: Standardised Approach) ECAI Mapping...
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has published a policy statement (PS3/26) that restates the remaining relevant provisions in the Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) within the PRA Rulebook and other policy materials. This change aims to ensure that the PRA's rules and policies are consistent with the UK's withdrawal from the EU. The policy statement is relevant to PRA-authorised banks, building societies, and other financial institutions.
What Changed
The PRA has restated the remaining relevant provisions in the CRR within the PRA Rulebook and other policy materials, including amendments to supervisory statements and the introduction of new statements of policy. The changes include updates to the securitisation requirements and the introduction of new rules on credit risk and internal ratings-based approaches.
Suggested Considerations
Review and update internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the restated CRR provisions
Ensure that risk management practices are aligned with the updated rules on credit risk and internal ratings-based approaches
Review and update securitisation policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the amended requirements
Key Dates
1 Jan 2027DEADLINE
The restated CRR provisions take effect
Potential Consequences
Failure to comply with the restated CRR provisions may result in enforcement action, fines, or other regulatory penalties
Related Regulations
Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR)Basel 3.1Solvency II
PS4/26 finalizes the **simplified capital regime for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs)**, a tailored prudential framework designed to reduce regulatory burden while maintaining capital resilience for smaller, domestically-focused UK banks and building societies. This represents the completion of Phase 1 of the PRA's "Strong and Simple" initiative and introduces materially lighter capital, liquidity, and reporting requirements for qualifying firms, with implementation effective January 1, 2027.
Key dates
January 20, 2026
– PS4/26 published; changes to SoP2/23 and ICAAP/ILAAP frequency requirements take effect
January 20, 2026
– Revocation of ICR firm/consolidation entity definitions and deletion of SoP3/23 effective
January 1, 2027
– Simplified capital regime for SDDTs takes effect; SS4/25 brought into effect in full; SDDTs removed from SS31/15 scope
Suggested considerations
*Immediate (by January 20, 2026):
*Assess SDDT eligibility – Determine whether your firm meets all seven qualification criteria, particularly the £20bn asset threshold and domestic asset location requirement
*Review consolidation group structure – If part of a group, confirm which entity will serve as the SDDT consolidation entity responsible for certification
*Implement SoP2/23 changes – Adopt updated operating procedures for the SDDT regime
*Update ICAAP/ILAAP processes – Implement new frequency requirements for capital and liquidity adequacy assessments
What changed
Simplified Capital Framework The final policy introduces a dedicated capital regime for SDDTs that descopes them from standard CRR Firms requirements.
Deletion of SoP3/23 (Interim Capital regime) effective January 20, 2026
Removal of SDDTs from scope of SS31/15 and SoP5/15 (standard ICAAP/SREP and Pillar 2 methodologies)
Modified consolidation group certification processes, with responsibility shifting to SDDT consolidation entities
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has introduced a simplified capital regime for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs) to reduce regulatory complexity while maintaining adequate capital. The new regime will take effect on 2027-01-01. This change aims to simplify capital requirements for smaller banks and building societies.
What Changed
The PRA has introduced a new simplified capital regime for SDDTs, which includes changes to the PRA Rulebook, supervisory statements, and statements of policy. The regime also introduces new reporting templates and instructions.
Suggested Considerations
Review and update capital adequacy assessments to ensure compliance with the new simplified capital regime
Implement new reporting templates and instructions for SDDTs
Update internal policies and procedures to reflect changes to the PRA Rulebook, supervisory statements, and statements of policy
Key Dates
20 Jan 2026
Publication of the final policy statement
20 Jan 2026
Early implementation of changes to ICAAP updates and reverse stress-testing
1 Jan 2027DEADLINE
The SDDT capital regime takes effect
Potential Consequences
Enforcement action, fines, or license revocation for non-compliance with the new simplified capital regime
This SAMA decision on repo and reverse repo rates is relevant for banks and wealth managers as it impacts their liquidity management and funding operations. It also has implications for reporting and disclosure requirements.
CFPB and Justice have withdrawn a joint statement linked to a creditor’s consideration of an individual’s immigration status under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.
AI Analysis
On January 12, 2026, the CFPB and DOJ withdrew their October 2023 joint statement concerning creditors’ consideration of immigration or citizenship status in credit decisions. The withdrawal confirms that ECOA and Regulation B do not impose a general prohibition or additional limitation on considering such information, while the prohibition on using it to discriminate on a prohibited basis remains unchanged.
Key dates
2023-10-12
CFPB and DOJ issued the joint statement concerning fair lending and credit opportunities for noncitizen borrowers; it was published in the Federal Register on October 18, 2023.
2026-01-12
CFPB and DOJ withdrew the October 2023 joint statement. The withdrawal was published at 91 FR 1138 and became effective on this date.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to identify underwriting, eligibility, pricing, servicing, and adverse-action processes that reference immigration, citizenship, visa, residency, or work-authorization status.
Firms should consider documenting the legitimate credit, repayment-risk, creditor-rights, remedies, or legal-compliance rationale for collecting or using immigration-related information, rather than treating the withdrawal as an unrestricted authorization to use the information for any purpose.
Firms may wish to reassess policies adopted in response to the 2023 joint statement, while preserving controls designed to prevent intentional discrimination or unjustified disparate treatment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age.
Compliance teams may wish to test whether immigration-related variables or proxies produce inconsistent eligibility, pricing, or servicing outcomes across protected groups and whether decisioning documentation supports the stated legitimate purpose.
Firms should consider retaining existing fair-lending governance, adverse-action notice, data-quality, model-risk, and complaint-monitoring controls because the withdrawal does not amend ECOA or Regulation B or eliminate consumer rights.
California creditors and other firms operating under state or local fair-lending laws may wish to separately assess obligations that are not displaced by the federal withdrawal, including potentially broader state civil-rights protections.
What changed
The nonbinding October 2023 joint statement is withdrawn effective January 12, 2026; no new statutory or regulatory obligation, safe harbor, or mandatory underwriting standard is created. The agencies state that creditors may consider immigration or citizenship status, including when assessing creditworthiness, financial risk, creditor rights and remedies regarding repayment, or compliance with other laws.
Compliance impact
The practical impact is primarily interpretive and supervisory rather than a new compliance burden: firms may have greater flexibility to consider immigration or citizenship status for legitimate underwriting and creditor-rights purposes, but ECOA and Regulation B’s prohibition on discrimination on a prohibited basis remains in force. The agencies state that firms may continue operating under the withdrawn statement without penalty, and independent commentary characterizes the change as a reversal of disparate-impact-oriented guidance rather than a material change to binding law.
Principles for risk-based supervision: a critical pillar for ESMA’s simplification and burden reduction efforts 09 January 2026 Supervision The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, published today its principles for risk-based supervision . These…
Why this matters
This speech from ESMA outlines principles for risk-based supervision, which is a critical component of regulatory oversight and compliance for financial firms across the capital markets and investment management sectors.
This circular informs licensed financial advisers, exempt financial advisers, holders of capital markets services licence, exempt capital markets services entities, registered insurance brokers, exempt insurance brokers and licensed direct insurers of the issuance of the response to the Consultation Paper on Revised…
AI Analysis
MAS issued its response to the 2022 consultation and three revised misconduct-reporting Notices on 30 December 2025. The Notices create a more structured framework for misconduct, investigation and update reports, generally require reporting within 21 calendar days after reasonable grounds arise, and take effect on 1 January 2027, giving affected firms one year to prepare.
Key dates
2022-04-19
MAS opened Consultation P002-2022 on revised misconduct-reporting Notices.
2022-05-20
Consultation P002-2022 closed.
2025-12-30
MAS issued the consultation response and Revised Notices FAA-N27, Notice 508 and SFA 04-N24.
2026-06-30
MAS targeted the second quarter of 2026 for sharing finalised misconduct and investigation-report templates; the source does not specify a precise day.
2027-01-01 Deadline
The Revised Notices take effect and affected firms must comply with the revised misconduct-reporting framework.
Suggested considerations
Firms should map their representative and broking-staff populations, regulated activities and product lines to the applicable Notice, including the separate FAA and IA reporting treatment where conduct involves both a designated investment product and a long-term accident and health policy.
Compliance teams may wish to update misconduct taxonomies and escalation criteria to cover Part 12 SFA market-conduct breaches, fraud, dishonesty, illegal monetary gains, client detriment, gross negligence, inappropriate advice, misrepresentation and inadequate disclosure, while documenting how non-reportable internal-policy breaches are distinguished from reportable underlying conduct.
Firms should design procedures that identify when reasonable grounds arise and start the 21-calendar-day reporting clock without waiting for conclusive findings of culpability.
Firms should establish decision trees for simultaneous misconduct and investigation reports, later investigation reports, update reports, police-report assessments and developments received from law enforcement or public sources.
Firms should implement controls to provide reports and updates to current and former representatives, including identity verification, secure transmission, reasonable attempts using last-known contact details, acknowledgement or mailing evidence, and documented exceptions where disclosure could prejudice an investigation.
Firms should review disciplinary frameworks, proportionality factors, fine calibration, appeal processes and governance to evidence a fair and transparent assessment of severity and client impact.
Firms should enhance record-retention procedures to preserve relevant investigation, reporting, representative-notification and submission records in accessible and retrievable form for at least five years.
Firms should monitor MAS implementation materials and final reporting templates, which MAS targeted to publish by the second quarter of 2026, and test operational readiness before the effective date.
What changed
The revised instruments are Notice FAA-N27 under the Financial Advisers Act 2001, Notice 508 under the Insurance Act 1966, and Notice SFA 04-N24 under the Securities and Futures Act 2001. A firm must generally submit a misconduct report within 21 calendar days after it has reasonable grounds to believe that misconduct was committed; conclusive proof of culpability is not required.
Compliance impact
This is a binding conduct-reporting change with broad impact across Singapore financial advisers, capital-markets firms, insurance brokers and direct insurers. Failure to identify reasonable grounds promptly, report within 21 calendar days, provide required copies, submit investigation or update reports, or retain supporting records could lead to supervisory engagement and concerns about the firm’s governance, controls and fitness-and-propriety oversight.
19 DEC 2025, 10:55 AM UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group Publishes Fourth Statement During Abu…
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the UAE Sustainable Finance Working Group covers progress across key areas of sustainable finance including corporate governance, disclosures, taxonomy development, and climate transition planning. It is relevant for a range of financial firms operating in the UAE market.
MiCA Crypto-assets Financial products Marketing Journalists Investment management companies Listed companies and issuers The AMF adapts its policy on complex financial products in response to the rise of crypto-assets
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (French financial markets authority) relates to the adaptation of its policy on complex financial products in response to the rise of crypto-assets. This impacts crypto exchanges, asset managers, and fintech firms operating in the crypto/digital assets space.
This regulatory update from the ECB focuses on streamlining and enhancing the effectiveness of European banking supervision, which is relevant for banks, asset managers, and wealth managers.
The Basel Committee has published principles for the sound management of third-party risk in the banking sector. The principles establish a common baseline for banks and supervisors for the sound management of third-party risk. The Committee will continue to monitor developments related to the digitalisation of…
AI Analysis
The Basel Committee published final principles for the sound management of third-party risk in the banking sector on 2025-12-10. The publication matters because it creates a common prudential baseline for banks and supervisors and explicitly supersedes the Basel/Joint Forum 2005 outsourcing paper for banking-sector purposes.
Key dates
2025-12-10
Basel Committee published the principles for the sound management of third-party risk
2024-10-09 Deadline
Comment deadline for the consultative version of the principles
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to compare existing outsourcing and third-party risk frameworks against the new 12-principle baseline to identify gaps in governance, lifecycle controls, and supervisor-facing documentation.
Firms may wish to review board and senior management oversight arrangements for third-party risk to ensure responsibilities, risk appetite, escalation, and reporting are clearly assigned.
Banks should consider whether their third-party inventories, risk assessments, due diligence files, contracts, monitoring processes, and exit planning are aligned to a full lifecycle model rather than a narrow outsourcing model.
Supervisory relations teams may wish to map the principles against home and host jurisdiction requirements to identify where local rules are already aligned or where additional supervisory engagement may be needed.
Operational resilience teams may wish to test whether critical third-party dependencies, including cloud and technology providers, are sufficiently captured in business continuity and termination planning.
What changed
The Basel Committee replaced the older 2005 Joint Forum outsourcing guidance with a new 12-principle framework focused on third-party service provider arrangements in banking. The framework is broader than traditional outsourcing and is designed to cover the larger, more diverse third-party ecosystem created by digitalisation and financial technology.
Compliance impact
The practical impact is broad for banking-sector third-party risk management because the publication updates the prudential benchmark supervisors may use when assessing governance, controls, and resilience. The Committee does not describe legal sanctions, but firms that lag the baseline may face supervisory challenge, remediation expectations, or pressure to strengthen third-party oversight and lifecycle controls.
PS27/25 finalizes the PRA's policy to delete 37 redundant banking regulatory reporting templates (34 FINREP, 2 COREP, and PRA109) as the first phase of the Future Banking Data (FBD) programme, aiming to reduce reporting burdens while maintaining supervisory data quality. This matters for PRA-regulated banks as it delivers immediate cost savings and signals broader regulatory simplification, aligning with the PRA's secondary competitiveness and growth objective.
Key dates
11 November 2025 Deadline
- Q3 2025 remittance deadline (precedes PS publication, so no concession for early non-reporting)
8 December 2025
- Publication of PS27/25, finalizing policy and responses to CP21/25 consultation
31 December 2025
- Effective date for revised rules, amended SS34/15, and deletions; applies to reporting reference dates falling on or after this date (avoids 2025 Q4 submissions where relevant)
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal reporting systems, processes, and controls to cease submission of the 37 deleted templates for reference dates from 31 December 2025 onwards.
Confirm applicability of consolidated FINREP scoping rules (Chapters 5A–5F) and adjust scoping for remaining templates, incorporating clarified conditions.
Assess eligibility for individual FINREP waivers under the updated framework if part of a UK consolidation group; apply to PRA if criteria met (90-95% asset contribution).
Update compliance policies and training to reflect SS34/15 amendments and aligned remittance deadlines.
Review Pillar 3 disclosure obligations for any ongoing requirements tied to deleted templates and prepare for potential future changes.
What changed
- Deletion of 37 whole reporting templates identified as duplicative, outdated, or low-value: 34 FINREP templates, 2 COREP templates (C05.01 and C05.02, now obsolete), and PRA109.
Consolidation of remaining FINREP scoping provisions into a single section of the PRA Rulebook (new Chapters 5A–5F of the Reporting (CRR) Part), with clarifications to unclear or duplicative...
Alignment of FINREP remittance deadlines to 30 business days for reports under Article 430(3), Article 11(2), and new Chapters 5A–5F.
Updates to Supervisory Statement SS34/15 – Guidelines for completing regulatory reports to reflect deletions and consolidations.
Refinements to the waiver framework for individual UK FINREP reporting in UK consolidation groups (excluding ring-fenced groups), allowing waivers if a single entity contributes 90-95% of group...
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium – Changes are simplificatory (deletions reduce burden), with immediate effect from 31 December 2025, but no new requirements or penalties for non-compliance with deleted items; firms must act promptly to decommission processes and avoid erroneous submissions. This matters as it lowers ongoing costs (especially for larger reporters) and sets precedent for FBD phases targeting further efficiencies, but smaller firms see limited benefit without broader reforms.
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has issued PS26/25, finalizing the withdrawal of Supervisory Statement (SS) 20/15, which previously set prescriptive expectations for building societies' treasury and lending activities, effective immediately upon publication on 5 December 2025. This deregulatory move reduces administrative burdens, enhances proportionality across deposit takers, and promotes competition by aligning building societies more closely with banks, while relying on existing tools like the PRA Rulebook, SMCR, and routine supervision for risk management. It matters for compliance teams as it eliminates specific guidance often misinterpreted as binding requirements, freeing firms to tailor risk frameworks but requiring vigilance on broader prudential expectations.
Suggested considerations
Review and update policies: Building societies must confirm internal treasury/lending frameworks align with remaining requirements (e.g., PRA Rulebook, Building Societies Act 1986, ICAAP/SREP under amended SS31/15); remove any SS20/15-specific references or processes.
Assess risk management: Evaluate use of derivatives or treasury tools for compliance with non-prescriptive expectations; ensure SMCR accountability and board oversight.
Update governance documents: Revise ICAAP/SREP processes per SS31/15 amendments; document rationale for tailored approaches to demonstrate proportionality.
Engage supervisors: No immediate reporting mandated, but proactive dialogue recommended for firms previously on extensions or complex approaches.
Monitor related reforms: Track Strong and Simple framework (e.g., PS4/26, PS20/25) for SDDT capital/liquidity simplifications referencing this change.
What changed
- Full deletion of SS20/15: Removes all expectations on treasury and lending activities, including the "Treasury Approaches" framework, without replacement.
Consequential amendments: Updates SS31/15 (Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process and Supervisory Review and Evaluation Process) to excise references to SS20/15.
Alignment with broader policy: Addresses inconsistencies with PRA's approach for banks, improved sector risk management maturity, and proportionality for smaller firms; supports objectives of safety,...
No new rules imposed: PRA deems existing tools sufficient, including Building Societies Act 1986 restrictions, PRA Rulebook, SMCR, and supervision; derivatives permitted only for risk management...
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium – Effective immediately (5 December 2025), but deregulatory nature reduces burdens rather than imposing new obligations; critical for year-end 2025/early 2026 planning to avoid legacy SS20/15 misapplication. Matters as it shifts from prescriptive "hard limits" (often treated as rules) to principles-based supervision, enabling flexibility but heightening reliance on firm-specific risk assessments amid PRA's focus on competition and growth; non-compliance risks arise from over-reliance on withdrawn guidance or inadequate tailoring.
PS25/25 is the PRA's policy statement providing feedback on CP10/25 and issuing updated Supervisory Statement SS5/25, which replaces SS3/19 to enhance banks' and insurers' management of climate-related financial risks through strengthened governance, risk management, scenario analysis, data quality, and disclosures. It matters because it sets a higher regulatory bar for embedding climate risks proportionately into core processes like ICAAP, ILAAP, ORSA, and financial reporting, promoting resilience and strategic decision-making amid evolving climate threats.
Key dates
3 December 2025
- PS25/25 and SS5/25 published; SS5/25 effective immediately, replacing SS3/19
Within 6 months (by ~June 2026)
- Firms assess gaps against new expectations and develop remediation plans (industry guidance)
Ongoing
- Forward-looking, strategic implementation proportionate to risks; PRA may request progress evidence
Suggested considerations
Conduct gap analysis against SS5/25 within 6 months and remediate (e.g., update governance, risk frameworks, CSA processes).
Integrate climate risks into board oversight, strategy, risk registers, ICAAP/ILAAP (banks), ORSA/stress testing (insurers), and financial reporting.
Perform CSA exercises commensurate with exposures, using suitable scenarios to inform decisions; enhance data quality and disclosures.
Ensure senior accountability and alignment with standards like SS1/21.
What changed
The main changes in SS5/25 from SS3/19 and CP10/25 responses include:
Proportionate application clarification: New 'Overarching aims' section in Chapter 3 explains how firms should tailor expectations to their climate risk exposure, business size, and complexity via a...
Governance strengthening: Boards and senior management must actively oversee climate risks, embedding them in strategy and ensuring accountability.
Risk management enhancements: Integrate climate risks into existing frameworks/risk registers (supplementary sub-registers allowed); 'accept, manage, avoid' is suggestive, not mandatory; aligns with...
Climate scenario analysis (CSA) advancements: Firms must use CSA strategically for decisions; flexibility on number/type of scenarios, reverse stress/sensitivity analysis, and longer horizons...
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Effective immediately (3 Dec 2025), requiring significant uplift to existing approaches; non-compliance risks supervisory scrutiny, as PRA expects ambitious, ongoing progress and may request evidence. Matters for capital/liquidity planning, resilience, and strategic viability amid maturing climate risk landscape.
Exchange of letters between the Governor and the Chancellor
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee is likely to impact banking, investment management, and wealth management firms, with a focus on prudential requirements, operational resilience, and reporting obligations.
The PRA has set the 2025 O-SII buffer rates for ring-fenced banks, large domestic firms, and large building societies
Why this matters
This regulatory update is relevant for ring-fenced banks, large domestic banks, and large building societies, as it sets the 2025 O-SII buffer rates for these firms. This impacts their prudential and capital requirements, as well as their authorization and reporting obligations.
PS23/25 from the PRA and FCA finalizes amendments to Binding Technical Standards (BTS) 2016/2251 under UK EMIR, introducing an indefinite exemption for single-stock equity options and index options from bilateral margin requirements, removing IM obligations on legacy contracts for firms falling below thresholds, and allowing alignment with third-country jurisdictions' timelines for IM assessments. These changes reduce operational burdens and enhance competitiveness for UK firms trading non-centrally cleared derivatives, following feedback from CP5/25, while maintaining prudential standards.
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal policies, procedures, and systems to cease IM/VM exchange for exempted single-stock equity options and index options post-27 November 2025; confirm no ongoing obligations for legacy contracts if below AANA thresholds.
Assess cross-border transactions: Document use of third-country jurisdictions’ timelines for IM thresholds where applicable, ensuring compliance with UK rules remains intact.
Conduct gap analysis on margin calculations, collateral management, and reporting; train front-to-back office teams on changes.
Retain records of AANA calculations and threshold monitoring to justify exemptions or relief.
For firms with collected IM on now-exempt legacy positions, evaluate release options per updated FCA instrument language.
What changed
- Indefinite exemption for equity options: Single-stock equity options and index options are permanently exempted from UK bilateral initial margin (IM) and variation margin (VM) requirements,...
Legacy contracts relief: Firms falling below the Average Aggregate Notional Amount (AANA) threshold no longer need to exchange IM on outstanding legacy non-centrally cleared derivatives contracts.
Third-country alignment: UK firms can adopt another jurisdiction’s threshold calculation periods and entry-into-scope dates for IM requirements when trading with counterparties subject to that...
Minor drafting tweaks for consistency between PRA and FCA instruments, including FCA adding text on releasing collected IM, with no policy impact.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Effective immediately since 27 November 2025 (over a month ago as of current date), firms risk non-compliance if systems still enforce outdated IM/VM for exemptions; operational fixes are needed urgently to avoid breaches, fines, or disputes, especially with phase-out of temporary equity options relief approaching 4 January 2026. Impacts cost savings but requires swift policy recalibration for ongoing UK EMIR adherence.
This regulatory update from the Bank of England relates to the remit for the Monetary Policy Committee, which is relevant for banking, investment management, and wealth management firms in terms of prudential requirements, reporting, and governance. The update is informational in nature.
Washington, D.C.—Today, the CFPB made changes to how the Supervision Division conducts exams. Previously, under the leadership of Director Chopra and Biden’s Director of Supervision Lorelei Salas, a former Soros activist who was put on leave in February 2025, this division was the weaponized arm of the CFPB.
AI Analysis
On November 21, 2025, the CFPB announced a substantially narrower and more collaborative approach to supervision examinations, including a requirement that examiners read a “Humility in Supervision Pledge” at the start of each review. For the 2026 examination cycle, the Bureau says it will provide advance notice, limit requests to defined priority-market scopes, emphasize pattern-and-practice violations involving tangible consumer harm, and prefer supervisory remediation over referral to Enforcement where feasible; independent commentary generally reads this as a meaningful change in examination posture rather than a relaxation of underlying legal obligations.
Key dates
2025-11-21
CFPB announced the Humility in Supervision Pledge and stated that examiners would read it to supervised entities at the beginning of examinations.
2026-01-01
The pledge applies to the CFPB’s 2026 examination cycle, including the announced focus on priority markets, tangible and identifiable consumer harm, and narrower examination scopes.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to map their 2026 CFPB examination readiness materials to clearly identified products, statutory and regulatory requirements, and documented consumer-harm risks, with particular attention to servicemembers, veterans, and their families.
Firms should consider maintaining a concise examination scoping pack that identifies relevant business lines, applicable federal consumer financial laws, prior findings, consumer-impact metrics, and information that can be produced without unnecessary overcollection.
Supervised entities may wish to designate personnel to validate the scope and priority areas when advance examination notice is received and to document any requests that appear unrelated to the stated scope.
Firms should consider preserving written records of discussions concerning supplemental information requests, scope changes, Matters Requiring Attention, and any proposed self-reporting or supervisory remediation.
Compliance teams may wish to continue preparing for enforcement-quality examinations because the pledge does not limit the CFPB’s statutory authority or eliminate potential liability for violations, consumer harm, disclosure failures, or unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices.
Entities experiencing examination activity inconsistent with the pledge may consider escalating the matter through CFPB supervisory channels, while avoiding reliance on the pledge as a defense against substantive compliance deficiencies.
What changed
The CFPB stated that 2026 examinations will focus on pressing consumer threats, particularly issues affecting service members, their families, and veterans, and matters within the Bureau’s statutory authority. The Bureau will seek to avoid duplicative supervision where states or other regulators are already performing substantially the same work. Supervised entities are expected to receive advance notice of scheduled examinations, clearer expectations, and requests limited to the defined scope and identified priorities.
Compliance impact
The publication signals lower-intensity, more targeted CFPB supervision and a greater likelihood that qualifying issues will be handled through Supervision rather than Enforcement, but it creates no safe harbor and does not reduce firms’ obligations under the Consumer Financial Protection Act, federal consumer financial laws, or applicable disclosure requirements.
This regulatory update from the ECB relates to capital requirements for banks, which is a key prudential topic. It also touches on operational resilience and reporting, which are important for a range of financial firms.
The PRA's PS24/25 finalizes rules increasing Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) depositor protection limits from £85,000 to £120,000 and temporary high balances (THB) from £1 million to £1.4 million for firm failures on or after 1 December 2025, responding to consultation feedback in CP4/25. This matters for PRA-authorized deposit-takers as it enhances consumer protection amid inflation but requires urgent system and disclosure updates to avoid FSCS payout delays or regulatory breaches. Firms must prioritize single customer view (SCV) readiness and phased disclosure revisions to comply efficiently.
Key dates
1 December 2025 Deadline
- New deposit (£120,000) and THB (£1.4 million) limits apply to firm failures on/after this date; SCV systems must be updated; SS18/15 and SoP1/15 effective
As soon as practicable after 1 December 2025
- Provide updated information sheets, stickers/posters, and exclusions lists to depositors (encouraged immediately to avoid confusion)
31 May 2026 Deadline
- Firm deadline for all disclosure material updates and provision to depositors (six-month transition ends)
Suggested considerations
Immediate (pre-1 Dec 2025): Test and prepare SCV systems for new limits; review current contact data accuracy.
By 1 Dec 2025: Implement SCV updates; apply amended SS18/15 and SoP1/15.
Post-1 Dec 2025 to 31 May 2026: Revise and distribute updated information sheets, compensation stickers/posters (excluding non-in-person branches), and simplified exclusions lists; no proactive customer notification required but provide on request/in relevant circumstances.
Ongoing: Ensure disclosures remain clear/accessible; monitor for PRA feedback on banking hub models.
Document changes for audit trails; consider regtech for SCV automation.
What changed
- Increased Protection Limits: Standard FSCS deposit limit rises from £85,000 to £120,000; THB limit from £1 million to £1.4 million, applying to failures from 1 December 2025.
SCV System Updates: Firms must update SCV systems (used by FSCS for rapid compensation) to reflect new limits from 1 December 2025, including accurate contact details.
Disclosure Materials: - Update information sheets on FSCS cover to reflect new limits and improve clarity/accessibility; provide to depositors as soon as practicable post-1 December 2025, by 31...
Rulebook Amendments (DPP Rules): Exclude FSCS sticker/poster display in branches without in-person depositor dealings; tighten "third-party premises" scope (e.g., banking hubs); other clarifications.
Supervisory Updates: SS18/15 and SoP1/15 amended for new rules, effective 1 December 2025, with guidance on third-party premises.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – SCV updates are mandatory by 1 December 2025 with no transition, risking delayed FSCS payouts and enforcement if unprepared; disclosure changes allow six months but PRA emphasizes early action to prevent depositor confusion. Impacts operational resilience and conduct risk; non-compliance could trigger supervisory action, especially for firms with outdated systems. Cost-benefit analysis shows minimal PRA impact but higher potential FSCS payouts in failures.
Sustainable Finance MIFID Investment advice Long term investment Other professionals Journalists Investment services providers Investment management companies The ACPR and the AMF present their joint approach helping...
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the ACPR and AMF in France relates to the joint approach they are presenting to help professionals take into account clients' sustainability preferences when providing investment advice. This impacts investment management firms, wealth managers, and banks that provide investment services.
The PRA's PS22/25 finalizes an increase in the retail deposits threshold for the leverage ratio requirement from £50 billion to £75 billion, introducing a three-year averaging mechanism for calculations, effective 1 January 2026. This adjustment reflects nominal UK GDP growth since 2016 to maintain the Financial Policy Committee's original risk appetite while smoothing cliff-edge effects for firms like building societies. It matters for major UK banks and similar firms as it alters capital planning and leverage ratio applicability, potentially reducing immediate compliance burdens for those nearing the old threshold.
Key dates
5 March 2025
- PRA publishes Consultation Paper CP2/25 proposing £70 billion threshold
5 June 2025 Deadline
- Consultation response deadline
12 November 2025
- PRA issues PS22/25 with final policy
1 January 2026
- Final policy takes effect, applying new £75 billion threshold and three-year averaging
30 June 2026
- Cessation of modifications by consent disapplying leverage ratio rules
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal retail deposits calculations to incorporate three-year moving average methodology starting 1 January 2026.
Assess current and projected retail deposits against £75 billion threshold (and £10 billion non-UK assets) to determine leverage ratio applicability and adjust capital planning accordingly.
Prepare to meet 3.25% leverage ratio minimum plus buffers if thresholds breached, including systems updates for averaging and reporting.
For firms with modifications by consent: Plan transition back to full leverage ratio rules by 30 June 2026, including any necessary capital raises or disclosures.
Update governance, risk models, and board reporting to reflect changes; conduct gap analysis against PRA Rulebook appendices in PS22/25.
What changed
- Retail deposits threshold raised from £50 billion to £75 billion, adjusted upward from the CP2/25 proposal of £70 billion to account for further GDP growth to Q2 2025 (rounded to nearest £5...
Introduction of a three-year moving average for calculating retail deposits metric, replacing point-in-time values to mitigate volatility and aid capital planning, particularly for building societies.
Non-UK assets threshold remains unchanged at £10 billion.
Modifications by consent disapplying leverage ratio rules during review will cease on 30 June 2026. These changes are implemented via updates to the Leverage Ratio – Capital Requirements and Buffers...
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – With effectiveness just after today (1 January 2026), firms near £50-75 billion in retail deposits face immediate recalibration of leverage exposures and capital buffers to avoid breaches, amplified by the shift to averaging which requires historical data reconstruction. Non-compliance risks PRA enforcement, heightened scrutiny, or capital inadequacy findings, but the higher threshold and averaging provide planning relief versus the status quo.
The Financial Policy Committee (FPC) welcomes today the Prudential Regulation Authority’s (PRA’s) policy statement 20/25 – The Strong and Simple Framework: The simplified capital regime for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs) – near-final.
AI Analysis
The Financial Policy Committee (FPC) welcomes the Prudential Regulation Authority's (PRA) Policy Statement (PS) 20/25, which finalizes the second phase of the "Strong and Simple Framework" by introducing a simplified capital regime for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs), alongside liquidity simplifications. This matters because it reduces regulatory burdens, enhances competition among smaller UK banks and building societies, and maintains resilience without full Basel 3.1 standards, with implementation on 1 January 2027.
Key dates
17 January 2025 Deadline
Deadline for comments on related CP14/24
28 October 2025
Publication of near-final PS20/25
1 January 2026
Full Basel 3.1 standards apply to ICR opt-in firms (ICR revoked); some changes to SoP2/23, ICAAP/ILAAP update frequencies effective from PS4/26 publication
20 January 2026
Publication of final PS4/26 confirming PS20/25; effective date for ICAAP/ILAAP updates (including reverse stress-testing)
1 January 2027
Simplified capital regime for SDDTs takes full effect
Suggested considerations
Assess SDDT eligibility: Confirm if firm meets scope criteria from PS15/23; decide between SDDT regime or full Basel 3.1.
Update capital frameworks: Implement Pillar 1/2A simplifications, SCB, and reporting changes; recalibrate risk-weighted assets, buffers, and stress testing.
ICR transitions: If applicable, prepare for 1 January 2026 Basel 3.1 shift or 1 January 2027 SDDT entry; cease ICR reliance.
Policy and process revisions: Revise ICAAP/ILAAP per 20 January 2026 changes; adapt reporting (51 descoped templates).
Supervisory engagement: Monitor CCoR cluster limits (200% trigger); engage PRA on Pillar 2A via CP12/25.
What changed
- Pillar 1 simplifications: Adoption of Basel 3.1 standardised approaches to credit and operational risk; disapplication of due diligence for credit risk, simplifications to market risk, removal of...
Pillar 2A methodologies: Simplifications for credit risk, credit concentration risk (CCoR), and operational risk; amendments to single-name concentration monitoring (cluster limit tightened to 200%,...
Capital buffers: Introduction of a new Single Capital Buffer (SCB) replacing the Capital Conservation Buffer (CCoB), Countercyclical Capital Buffer (CCyB), and PRA buffer; removal of CCyB adjustment...
Stress testing and reporting: Replacement of cyclical stress testing with non-cyclical framework; increased descoped reporting templates from 38 to 51, plus SDDT-specific versions of four templates.
Revocation of Interim Capital Regime (ICR): Firms opting into ICR must transition to full Basel 3.1 on 1 January 2026 or SDDT regime on 1 January 2027.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – With full implementation on 1 January 2027 (less than 12 months from today), SDDTs face tight timelines for capital recalibrations, ICR exits, and reporting overhauls; missing deadlines risks supervisory intervention or full Basel 3.1 compliance costs. This significantly eases burdens (e.g., simpler buffers, reduced reporting) but requires proactive gap analysis to leverage simplifications while ensuring resilience.
**PS19/25** is the PRA's near-final policy statement finalizing how remaining Capital Requirements Regulation (CRR) provisions will be restated into the PRA Rulebook, effective January 1, 2027. This represents a critical step in the UK's transition away from assimilated EU law, giving the PRA expanded rule-making authority over UK banks, building societies, and investment firms while introducing targeted policy changes to securitisation, credit risk treatment, and ECAI mapping.
Key dates
28 October 2025
- PRA published near-final policy statement PS19/25
Q1 2026
- PRA intends to publish final policies and rule instruments alongside or shortly after final Basel 3.1 package publication
1 January 2026
- Implementation date for certain proposals finalized in PS12/25 (limited scope)
1 January 2027
- Implementation date for policies and requirements in PS19/25 (primary implementation date)
Suggested considerations
*Review the final policy statement when published in Q1 2026 to understand specific rule changes applicable to your firm's business model
*Assess securitisation impacts: If your firm engages in securitisation activities, particularly synthetic SRT structures with unfunded credit protection, evaluate compliance with clarified supervisory expectations in SS9/13
*Evaluate mortgage capital treatment: Firms with significant mortgage lending should assess impact of new capital rules for certain mortgage exposures
*Update ECAI mapping processes: Firms relying on external credit assessments must prepare for amendments reflecting Basel 3.1 implementation
*Establish implementation timeline: Develop a project plan for January 1, 2027 implementation, including:
What changed
The near-final policy confirms and finalizes the following substantive amendments: Securitisation Requirements
Largely preserves current requirements and supervisory expectations with targeted policy changes
Introduces a new formulaic p-factor for the standardised approach to securitisation
Establishes new capital rules for certain mortgage exposures
Clarifies supervisory expectations for unfunded credit protection in synthetic Significant Risk Transfer (SRT) securitisations by adding expectations to SS9/13 Level of Application of CRR...
PS18/25, published by the PRA on 28 October 2025, retires the "refined methodology" for Pillar 2A capital calculations, replacing it with reliance on the Basel 3.1 Credit Risk Standardised Approach (CR SA) for greater risk sensitivity, transparency, and proportionality. This near-final policy simplifies the Pillar 2A framework, reduces administrative burdens, and aligns with broader Basel 3.1 implementation and the Strong and Simple regime for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs), promoting safety, soundness, and competition. It matters because it directly impacts credit risk capital add-ons for affected firms, requiring updates to ICAAP/SREP processes ahead of Basel 3.1 timelines.
Key dates
28 October 2025
- PS18/25 publication with near-final policy and PRA feedback to CP9/24/CP7/24 consultations
January 2026
- PS2/26 published as final policy, minor adjustment to SS31/15 para 5.12A
Q2 2026
- Expected finalisation of CP12/25 Phase 1 proposals (Pillar 2A review, including IRB benchmarking removal)
1 July 2026
- Effective date for pension obligation risk amendments in SoP5/15 and SS31/15 clarifications (IRRBB changes partially deferred)
Basel 3.1 Implementation Date (TBD, aligned with CR SA go
live); - Retirement of refined methodology and related credit/operational risk changes
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal Pillar 2A methodologies, ICAAP/SREP documentation to remove refined methodology reliance and align with Basel 3.1 CR SA.
For SDDTs: Transition to SoP5/25 and SS4/25; assess impacts from PS20/25 overlap.
Model/calculate potential capital impacts from CR SA changes vs. prior IRB benchmarking adjustments.
Prepare for IRRBB/pension risk clarifications in SS31/15 submissions from 1 July 2026; monitor CP12/25 review.
Engage PRA supervisors on firm-specific transitions; update reporting (e.g., anticipate FSA076 streamlining).
What changed
- Retirement of Refined Methodology: Eliminates supervisory adjustments to Pillar 2A credit risk add-ons based on IRB benchmarking, as Basel 3.1 CR SA better captures risks and reduces gaps between...
Policy Material Updates: - Near-final amendments to Statement of Policy (SoP) 5/15 – The PRA’s methodologies for setting Pillar 2 capital. - Final amendments to Supervisory Statement (SS) 31/15 –...
IRRBB and Pension Obligation Risk: Clarifications only (no substantive changes); minor IRRBB updates in SS31/15 deferred due to ongoing review (CP12/25 Phase 1); pension risk amendments finalized.
Future Alignment: Proposals from CP12/25 (e.g., removing IRB benchmarking, streamlining FSA076/FSA077 reporting) to be finalized in Q2 2026 PS, not reflected here.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Firms must act now to recalibrate Pillar 2A capital ahead of Basel 3.1 and 1 July 2026 effective dates, as retirement eliminates adjustments that reduced add-ons for low-risk CR SA firms, potentially increasing capital requirements despite Basel 3.1 offsets. Non-compliance risks supervisory scrutiny in SREP/ICAAP, higher Pillar 2A requirements, and misalignment with simplified regimes; benefits include reduced complexity/burden long-term.
This regulatory update from the PRA provides information on its methodologies for setting Pillar 2 capital requirements, which is relevant for banks, asset managers, and wealth managers.
**PS20/25** represents the second and final phase of the PRA's "Strong and Simple Framework," establishing a significantly simplified capital regime for Small Domestic Deposit Takers (SDDTs) while maintaining their resilience. This near-final policy statement, published on 28 October 2025, fundamentally restructures capital requirements, liquidity rules, and operational frameworks for SDDTs—a critical development for smaller deposit-taking institutions seeking regulatory relief from disproportionate compliance burdens.
Key dates
2026 (specific date TBD)
– PRA to make final rules and policy covering the entire Basel 3.1 package once HM Treasury makes commencement regulations to revoke relevant CRR provisions
31 March 2026 Deadline
– Deadline for firms wishing to enter the SDDT regime to notify the PRA and benefit from the simplified framework at implementation
1 January 2027
– Implementation date for the simplified capital regime for SDDTs; the Interim Capital Regime will no longer apply
2027 (specific date TBD)
– PRA to implement restatement of CRR requirements (PS19/25)
Suggested considerations
*For SDDTs Currently Operating or Considering Entry:
*Notification Decision – Determine whether to enter the SDDT regime and submit notification to the PRA by 31 March 2026 if seeking to benefit from simplified rules.
*Policy Review – Conduct comprehensive review of PS20/25, related policy statements (PS18/25, PS19/25, PS8/25, PS14/25), and supporting methodologies (SoP5/25, SS4/25, amendments to SoP2/23).
*Capital Calculation Transition – Prepare systems and processes to transition from current capital calculation methodologies to Basel 3.1 standardised approaches with SDDT simplifications, including:
Removal of CCR and CVA calculations for derivatives
What changed
The simplified capital regime introduces structural changes across all three pillars of capital requirements: Pillar 1 (Risk-Weighted Assets)
SDDTs must apply Basel 3.1 standardised approaches for credit risk and operational risk, with specific simplifications.
Due diligence requirements in the standardised approach to credit risk are disapplied for SDDTs.
Counterparty credit risk (CCR) for derivatives and credit valuation adjustment (CVA) risk are disapplied (with minor exceptions).
Market risk framework is simplified, with SDDTs applying the credit risk approach to trading book positions and removal of foreign-exchange and commodity risk capital requirements.
This regulatory update from the PRA sets out their approach to exercising certain powers related to securitization under the CRR rules. This is relevant for banking and capital markets firms that engage in securitization activities, as well as all firms subject to the Securitisation (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook.
This regulatory update from the PRA is relevant to banks, building societies, and PRA-designated investment firms. It sets out the PRA's approach to considering applications from these firms to not apply or modify rules in the Counterparty Credit Risk (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook, which is related to prudential...
This regulatory update from the PRA sets out their approach to granting waivers and permissions related to the Securitisation (CRR) Part of the PRA Rulebook. This is relevant for banking and capital markets firms that are subject to these rules.
Informs insurers on the issuance of the Response to Consultation Paper on the proposed enhancements to the RBC 2 capital treatment for investment in structured products and infrastructure investments for insurers under RBC 2 framework.
AI Analysis
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued Circular ID 13/25 on 28 October 2025, responding to feedback on its October 2024 consultation paper proposing enhancements to the RBC 2 capital treatment for insurers' investments in structured products and infrastructure assets. This matters because it finalizes revisions to MAS Notice 133, introducing differentiated risk charges to encourage infrastructure investments while maintaining prudential safeguards, with changes effective 31 March 2026.
Suggested considerations
Review and update internal capital models, valuation policies, and investment portfolios for structured products and infrastructure assets to align with new risk charges and definitions.
Assess eligibility of current holdings against refined qualifying criteria (e.g., infrastructure corporates at ≥75% threshold) and prepare look-through analyses for funds.
Monitor MAS updates on the sustainable infrastructure pilot program and evaluate participation if applicable.
Conduct gap analysis on MAS Notice 133 revisions once finalized; test systems for equity correlation factors and reduced unrated debt periods.
Document compliance readiness and report to senior management/board ahead of 31 March 2026 effective date.
What changed
- Structured Products: Removes the 50% risk charge option on full market value; recognizes credit ratings from external institutions for securitized asset tranches; applies 50% loading for rated...
Infrastructure Investments: Adopts Insurance Capital Standard (ICS)-aligned definitions (e.g., adding "Water utilities", "Waste management utilities", "Energy utilities"); refines qualifying criteria...
Pilot Program: MAS is collaborating on a pilot for sustainable infrastructure projects with risk-appropriate capital charges and investment caps to build insurer expertise.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Insurers have ~13 months (effective 31 March 2026) to implement changes, but portfolio recalibrations, model validations, and potential capital impacts require immediate planning to avoid solvency shortfalls or missed investment opportunities in infrastructure. Non-compliance risks heightened supervisory scrutiny under RBC 2.
PS17/25 establishes the **Matching Adjustment Investment Accelerator (MAIA) framework**, enabling PRA-regulated insurers to regularize and expand their use of matching adjustment (MA) in calculating capital requirements for certain long-duration insurance liabilities. This framework is significant because it provides a structured pathway for firms to optimize capital efficiency while maintaining prudential safeguards through exposure limits, eligibility assessments, and breach remediation mechanisms.
Key dates
27 October 2025
- PS17/25 final rules and policy material took effect; firms could begin applying for MAIA permission
31 December 2026 Deadline
- Implementation deadline for changes to MALIR reporting template
18 weeks after financial year Deadline
end; - Annual MAIA use report submission deadline (ongoing, annually)
2 months from breach identification Deadline
- Deadline to rectify breaches to avoid MA benefit reduction
Suggested considerations
*Immediate (Q4 2025 - Q1 2026):
*Assess eligibility for MAIA permission by reviewing current MA portfolio and prospective assets
*Establish contingency plans for scenarios where MAIA assets become ineligible
*Prepare MAIA permission application if pursuing the framework
What changed
The MAIA framework introduces the following regulatory requirements: Permission and Eligibility Framework
Firms must obtain explicit MAIA permission from the PRA to use the accelerator
Permission grants authority to regularize previously non-compliant MA assets and apply MA to new eligible assets within defined parameters Exposure Limits
Firms receive fixed monetary exposure limits calibrated using the Best Estimate of Liabilities (BEL) of the MA portfolio, net of reinsurance, at the time of permission grant
Limits remain fixed until the next formal variation of MAIA permission Asset Eligibility and Assessment
The PRA and FCA have today confirmed plans to increase flexibility around senior banker pay, alongside changes to create better links between bonus awards and responsible risk-taking.
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the PRA and FCA impacts the banking and wealth management sectors, with changes to senior banker pay and bonus structures related to prudential requirements, governance, and consumer protection. The medium urgency reflects the forward-looking nature of the changes for 2025.
PS21/25 implements reforms to PRA remuneration rules for banks, building societies, and PRA-designated investment firms, simplifying Material Risk Taker (MRT) identification, aligning deferral periods with international standards (4 years for non-SMF MRTs and 5 years for SMFs), and enhancing links to individual accountability under the Senior Managers Regime (SMR). These changes matter as they reduce regulatory burden, increase flexibility in bonus structures (e.g., marginal deferral rates and cash payments), and promote competitiveness while maintaining risk alignment, potentially reversing trends toward higher fixed pay.
Key dates
November 2024
Preceding joint consultation (CP16/24/PRA, CP24/23/FCA) closed prior to PS
15 October 2025
Publication date; some changes (e.g., deferral periods, pro-rata vesting) may apply to ongoing 2025 performance year and unvested prior awards at firm discretion
16 October 2025
Final rules and updated SS2/17 take effect; apply to performance years starting after this date (e.g., mandatory from 1 January 2026 for calendar-year firms)
Suggested considerations
Review and update MRT identification processes, applying simplified top 0.3% threshold and new proportionality exemptions.
Revise remuneration policies for deferral (4/5 years, marginal rates), upfront cash flexibility, and instrument expectations; update bonus award calculations.
Embed SMR-linked adjustments: Define criteria for chain-wide pay reductions on adverse outcomes; align Remuneration Committee oversight with PRA priorities and risk events.
For dual-regulated firms: Transition to PRA-cross-referenced FCA rules (SYSC 19D).
Optional early adoption for specified changes on 2025/unvested awards; document governance for RemCo approvals and board policies.
What changed
- MRT Identification: Simplified quantitative threshold to the top 0.3% of earners (assessed against risk impact); qualitative criteria unchanged; raised proportionality threshold for disapplying...
Deferral Periods: 4-year minimum for non-SMF MRTs (previously varied); reduced to 5 years for SMFs (from 7 years); aligns with FCA and international practice.
Deferral Rates: Marginal system—40% deferral on first £660,000 of variable remuneration, 60% above; replaces cliff-edge approach for proportionality.
Upfront Cash Flexibility: Removed equal cash/instrument split requirement (Remuneration 15.16 deleted); deferred portion should have higher instrument share as good practice (new SS2/17 para 5.44B);...
Individual Accountability: New rules/expectations for adjusting remuneration up the management chain for adverse outcomes; senior management accountable against PRA priorities; Remuneration...
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Mandatory from performance years post-16 October 2025 (e.g., 2026 for most), with immediate opt-in possible; impacts 2026 bonus cycles, requiring swift policy rewrites amid year-end planning. Matters due to simplified but ownership-heavy MRT processes, SMR-pay linkages raising accountability risks, and flexibility needing robust justification to avoid supervisory challenge; non-compliance risks enforcement under PRA accountability regimes.
PS16/25 is the PRA's policy statement restating firm-facing organisational requirements from the MiFID Org Reg (e.g., outsourcing, record-keeping, risk management, compliance, internal audit, and governance) into the PRA Rulebook, with no material changes, to align with HMT's revocation of the EU regulation under FSMA 2023. This matters because it ensures continuity of prudential oversight for PRA-authorised firms post-revocation, preventing enforcement gaps in systems and controls while adapting provisions (e.g., supervisory function) to UK governance structures.
Key dates
9 October 2025
- PRA publishes PS16/25 with final rules and feedback to CP9/25 consultation
23 October 2025
- New PRA rules and technical standards come into force, coinciding with HMT's anticipated revocation of MiFID Org Reg via commencement order (FCA rules align on same date)
Prior to 23 October 2025
- HMT expected to lay second Statutory Instrument revoking remaining MiFID Org Reg provisions; PRA may delay/revoke rules if not made
Suggested considerations
Review and map existing MiFID Org Reg compliance processes against restated PRA Rulebook provisions (e.g., update policies on outsourcing, risk management, governance).
Confirm governing body oversight aligns with adapted Article 25 requirements; document any adjustments for UK structures.
Update internal references in algorithmic trading governance documents to new rule 2.2D.
Conduct gap analysis and training on minor clarifications; prepare for dual FCA/PRA alignment if applicable.
Monitor HMT commencement order; if delayed, reassess implementation plans.
What changed
- Restatement of requirements: Provisions from MiFID Org Reg Articles on outsourcing, record-keeping, control procedures, risk management, compliance, internal audit, and governance are transferred...
Supervisory function adjustment: Following consultation feedback, PRA retained Article 25 provisions but substituted "governing body" for "supervisory function" to fit UK firm structures, preserving...
Technical standards update: Minor amendment to algorithmic trading technical standards, replacing references to revoked MiFID Org Reg Article 23(2) with new PRA Rulebook rule 2.2D.
No policy or scope changes; adjustments mainly reflect PRA drafting style and respond to feedback for clarity.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Firms must act promptly as rules take effect on 23 October 2025 (past deadline as of current date), with no transition period; non-compliance risks enforcement gaps in core systems/controls post-revocation. Impact is low for substance (restatement only) but requires documentation updates to avoid supervisory scrutiny, especially for governance and outsourcing.
Informs insurers on the issuance of the Response to Consultation Paper on Proposed Inclusion of Additional Criteria for Additional Tier 1 and Tier 2 Capital Instruments for Insurers.
AI Analysis
This MAS circular (ID 12/25) announces the Response to Consultation Paper on adding new criteria for insurers' Additional Tier 1 (AT1) and Tier 2 capital instruments under the RBC 2 framework, finalizing enhancements to strengthen capital quality and loss absorption. It matters because it directly updates Notices 133 and FHC-N133, impacting how insurers recognize capital instruments from 1 January 2026, with a restriction to non-retail investors in Singapore, aligning Singapore's regime with global standards like IAIS ICS.
Suggested considerations
Review Existing/Planned Issuances: Inventory AT1/Tier 2 instruments against new criteria; ensure compliance with non-retail investor restriction (e.g., verify distribution channels and investor classifications).
Update Capital Planning: Amend internal models and RBC 2 calculations per updated Notices 133/FHC-N133; test eligibility of instruments for loss absorption (e.g., callability, maturity ≥5 years for Tier 2).
Investor Documentation: Implement controls to confirm sales exclude Singapore retail investors; update prospectuses and distribution agreements.
Reporting & Disclosure: Integrate changes into valuation/capital reporting under RBC 2; seek MAS approval if needed for non-standard instruments.
Training & Governance: Train compliance/treasury teams; board oversight for capital planning impacts.
What changed
- Additional Criteria for AT1 and Tier 2 Instruments: Introduces new eligibility criteria for capital instruments to qualify as AT1 or Tier 2 under RBC 2, enhancing loss absorption features (e.g.,...
Investor Restriction: Instruments must be sold only to persons who are not retail investors in Singapore to qualify, reducing retail exposure risk.
Notice Amendments: Formalizes updates via ID 15/25, amending Notice 133 (for insurers) and Notice FHC-N133 (for Designated Financial Holding Companies), effective 1 January 2026. These align with...
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – Effective 1 January 2026 (less than 1 month from today, 6 Feb 2026), requiring immediate review of issuances to avoid disqualification of capital, potential RBC shortfalls, or supervisory action. Matters for capital adequacy amid RBC 2 enhancements, as non-compliant instruments reduce eligible capital, increasing solvency risk; aligns with IAIS but adds local retail protection.
Sustainable Finance Periodic & ongoing disclosures Corporate sustainability reporting: AMF’s response to EFRAG’s consultation on the simplification of European standards
AI Analysis
The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France's financial markets regulator, responded to EFRAG's July 31, 2025, public consultation on simplified European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the CSRD, welcoming a 57% reduction in mandatory datapoints and 55% shorter standards while urging refinements in materiality, climate reporting, and financial effects disclosure. This matters for compliance professionals as it signals upcoming proportionate ESRS revisions that could ease reporting burdens for large listed companies starting voluntarily in 2026, enhancing investor usability without diluting key sustainability insights.
Key dates
July 31, 2025
- EFRAG publishes draft simplified ESRS for public consultation
September 29, 2025
- Consultation closes
End of November 2025
- EFRAG submits technical advice to European Commission
June 2026
- Sector-specific ESRS adoption planned
2026 financial year (reports in 2027)
- Voluntary application of simplified standards, if legislative timeline allows
Suggested considerations
Monitor EFRAG's post-consultation technical advice (end-November 2025) and EC adoption process; prepare for voluntary uptake in 2026 reporting cycles.
Listed companies: Refine materiality processes to specify IRO types and use gross impacts; retain "net zero" definitions in climate plans; prioritize quantitative climate financial effects.
Conduct or update materiality assessments per EFRAG guidance (e.g., value chain, thresholds); leverage "undue costs" relief judiciously with time limits.
Prepare xHTML digital tagging for sustainability statements in management reports.
French firms: Align 2026 statements with AMF supervisory expectations, noting non-adoption of ESMA's GLESI guidelines pending full CSRD transposition.
What changed
AMF endorses EFRAG's simplifications but proposes targeted adjustments:
Materiality assessment: Support for proportionate double materiality (impacts, risks, opportunities or IRO) but requires minimum specification of impact type (positive/negative, risk, opportunity);...
Climate reporting: Regrets removal of "net zero" definition (90-95% gross GHG reduction trajectory), essential for 2024 comparability.
Anticipated financial effects: Strongly backs Option 1 (quantitative info required, with exceptions) for climate matters to align with ISSB and investor needs; flexible for other topics.
Reporting reliefs: Supports "undue costs/efforts" exemptions (e.g., metrics except Scope 3 GHG) with time-bound limits to match ISSB. EFRAG's draft cuts mandatory datapoints by 57-61%, eliminates...
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium - Not immediate mandates, as this is a consultation response with voluntary 2026 start, but proactive preparation is essential for large listed firms facing AMF scrutiny on 2025/2026 statements. Matters due to potential burden reduction (57% fewer datapoints) balanced by AMF's push for investor-critical details like quantitative climate effects, aligning EU CSRD with global ISSB standards amid supervisory ramp-up.
PS15/25 introduces **new liquidity risk reporting requirements for major UK insurance firms**, closing data gaps identified during the March 2020 "dash for cash" and September 2022 LDI crisis. The policy mandates four new reporting templates for firms with significant derivatives or securities lending exposure, with implementation deferred to **30 September 2026** to allow adequate preparation time.
Key dates
30 September 2025
- PRA published PS15/25 (policy statement)
31 December 2025 Deadline
- Original implementation deadline (now superseded)
30 September 2026
- **Final implementation date for all liquidity reporting requirements**
First reporting reference date after 30 September 2026 Deadline
- Firms meeting threshold conditions must commence reporting
Three consecutive annual reporting reference dates
- Threshold for ceasing reporting once firms fall below thresholds
Suggested considerations
*Immediate Actions (by Q2 2026):
*Threshold Assessment: Determine whether your firm meets the £10 billion derivatives or £1 billion securities lending thresholds
*RFF Mapping: If applicable, identify ring-fenced funds with £500 million+ gross notional derivatives exposure
*System Readiness: Begin implementing technical infrastructure for monthly and daily reporting submissions
*Data Governance: Establish processes to capture and validate liquidity data in the required templates
What changed
The PRA's final policy establishes the following regulatory framework: New Reporting Templates Four new liquidity reporting templates have been introduced to capture previously unavailable data:
Annual committed facilities template
Monthly cash-flow mismatch template (short form)
Monthly cash-flow mismatch template for ring-fenced funds, matching adjustment portfolios, and remaining parts
Additional supervisory reporting requirements Scope and Thresholds Firms are subject to liquidity reporting if they meet both of the following conditions:
Informs insurers on the issuance of the Response to Consultation Paper on Proposed Equity Counter-Cyclical Adjustment for Insurers.
AI Analysis
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has finalized its **equity counter-cyclical adjustment (CCA)** framework for insurers, making it a mandatory requirement under the RBC 2 capital framework effective January 1, 2026. This regulatory enhancement aims to reduce procyclicality in equity investment risk requirements by adjusting capital charges based on market conditions, requiring all licensed insurers to implement uniform CCA calculations using monthly average year-on-year equity returns.
Key dates
27 March 2025
– MAS issued original consultation paper on proposed equity CCA
28 April 2025
– Consultation period closed
25 August 2025
– MAS published response to consultation feedback
08 December 2025
– Last revision date for related Notices 133 and FHC-N133
1 January 2026
– **Effective implementation date for equity CCA**
Suggested considerations
*Immediate Compliance Steps (by January 1, 2026):
*System Implementation – Develop or modify capital calculation systems to incorporate monthly average YoY equity return calculations
*Policy Documentation – Update internal capital management policies to reflect mandatory CCA application
*Governance Alignment – Ensure board and senior management understand the mandatory nature and cannot exercise discretion to opt out during market stress
What changed
Mandatory CCA Implementation MAS will proceed with introducing the CCA as a mandatory requirement across all insurers.
Determining YoY returns on a daily basis
Computing the average YoY returns over the preceding one-month period This change addresses concerns that daily calculations created excessive sensitivity to timing and duration of market stress...
This regulatory update from FINMA appears to relate to the harmonization of sanctions regulations, which would impact banking, investment management, and wealth management firms in terms of AML/financial crime compliance, prudential requirements, and reporting obligations.
MiCA Crypto-assets Crypto-assets: the AMF clarifies its policy on DASPs authorised under the PACTE Law to take account of the transitional period and facilitate the transition to MiCA
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) in France clarifies its policy on Digital Asset Service Providers (DASPs) authorized under the PACTE Law, in light of the upcoming transition to the EU's MiCA regulation.
This voluntary framework for the disclosure of climate-related financial risks includes both qualitative and quantitative information. The Committee has agreed this framework will be voluntary in nature, with jurisdictions to consider whether to implement it domestically.
Why this matters
This is a Basel Committee framework document on voluntary disclosure of climate-related financial risks. The content explicitly targets banks and establishes a framework (both qualitative and quantitative) for disclosure. It is informational/guidance in nature (voluntary, not binding), making urgency null.
The CFPB is announcing that it will not prioritize enforcement actions taken on the basis of the Truth in Lending (Regulation Z); Use of Digital User Accounts to Access Buy Now, Pay Later Loans, 89 Fed. Reg. 47,068 (May 31, 2024) (“Buy Now, Pay Later”).
AI Analysis
On 2025-05-06, the CFPB announced that it would not prioritize enforcement or supervision based on its 2024 Buy Now, Pay Later interpretive rule, which treated certain BNPL providers as credit card issuers under Regulation Z. The announcement reduced immediate federal enforcement risk but did not repeal the rule, eliminate underlying Truth in Lending Act obligations, or displace state requirements; independent commentary also notes that the CFPB subsequently withdrew the interpretive rule on 2025-05-12.
Key dates
2024-05-31
The CFPB published Use of Digital User Accounts to Access Buy Now, Pay Later Loans at 89 Fed. Reg. 47,068, treating covered BNPL lenders as card issuers under Regulation Z.
2025-05-06
The CFPB announced that it would not prioritize enforcement actions based on the BNPL interpretive rule and was contemplating rescission.
2025-05-12
The CFPB subsequently withdrew the 2024 BNPL interpretive rule as part of its withdrawal of guidance documents.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to document the distinction between the CFPB's enforcement-priority statement and a formal repeal, noting that the announcement itself did not provide a safe harbor from the Truth in Lending Act, Regulation Z, UDAAP, Fair Credit Reporting Act, or applicable state law.
BNPL providers should consider preserving existing Regulation Z implementation records, including disclosures, account statements, dispute and error-resolution procedures, refund processes, complaint files, and change-management documentation, because the CFPB's announcement did not authorize retrospective noncompliance and future policy could change.
Firms may wish to verify the current status of the 2024 interpretive rule and monitor CFPB Federal Register notices, supervisory publications, litigation developments, and any replacement rule or guidance.
Product and legal teams should consider reassessing whether each BNPL product is subject to Regulation Z based on its structure and applicable statutory provisions, rather than relying solely on the withdrawn interpretive rule.
Compliance teams may wish to continue testing disclosures, payment schedules, fees, refund handling, billing-error response, complaint management, and marketing for compliance with remaining federal and state requirements.
Multi-state providers should consider separately reviewing state licensing, rate, fee, disclosure, dispute-resolution, privacy, and unfair-practices requirements; independent commentary specifically identified New York legislation imposing BNPL licensing and supervision requirements, a 16 percent interest cap, fee restrictions, and additional consumer safeguards.
Firms may wish to maintain contingency plans that allow rapid restoration or modification of credit-card-style Regulation Z controls if federal enforcement priorities or the legal status of BNPL products changes.
What changed
The CFPB stated that enforcement actions based on Use of Digital User Accounts to Access Buy Now, Pay Later Loans, 89 Fed. Reg. 47,068 (May 31, 2024), would not be a priority. The Bureau said it would redirect enforcement and supervision resources toward pressing consumer threats, particularly those involving servicemembers, veterans, taxpayers, and small businesses. The Bureau also said it was contemplating appropriate action to rescind the interpretive rule; subsequent CFPB materials identified the rule as withdrawn on 2025-05-12.
Compliance impact
The immediate effect was a reduction in stated CFPB enforcement and supervisory priority, not a statutory exemption or affirmative permission to discontinue consumer-protection controls. Independent law-firm, consultancy, and industry commentary characterized the change as regulatory relief but cautioned that underlying TILA obligations, state laws, other federal consumer laws, and potential future policy changes remain relevant.
The CFPB is announcing that it will not prioritize enforcement or supervision actions with regard to entities that are currently outside the stay imposed under Texas Bankers Association v. CFPB, No. 24-40705 (CA5).
AI Analysis
On 2025-04-30, the CFPB announced that it would not prioritize supervision or enforcement of the Section 1071 small-business lending provisions of Regulation B against entities outside the Fifth Circuit’s stay in Texas Bankers Association v. CFPB, No. 24-40705. The announcement provided practical enforcement relief but did not vacate, amend, or legally suspend the rule for all covered institutions; the CFPB subsequently withdrew the policy statement on 2025-05-12, and later rulemaking changed the compliance framework.
Key dates
2025-02-07
The Fifth Circuit stayed the Section 1071 rule pending appeal in Texas Bankers Association v. CFPB and tolled compliance deadlines only for the case’s plaintiffs and intervenors, subject to further court modification.
2025-04-30
The CFPB published the policy statement announcing that it would not prioritize enforcement or supervision against entities outside the Fifth Circuit stay.
2025-05-12
The CFPB withdrew the policy statement as part of its broader withdrawal of policy statements, interpretive rules, advisory opinions, and other guidance.
2025-06-18
The CFPB issued an interim final rule extending Section 1071 compliance dates for all regulated entities by approximately one year; the earliest revised date for the highest-volume tier was July 1, 2026.
2026-05-01
The CFPB issued a final reconsideration rule revising Regulation B subpart B and extending the revised framework’s general compliance date to January 1, 2028.
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to avoid treating the 2025-04-30 announcement as a formal repeal, exemption, or safe harbor, and should document the distinction between enforcement prioritization and continuing statutory or regulatory obligations.
Covered lenders should consider preserving existing Section 1071 governance, data mapping, recordkeeping, and implementation work where proportionate, while assessing whether the 2026 final reconsideration rule changes the applicable scope, data points, procedures, or implementation timetable.
Firms should consider identifying whether they are plaintiffs, intervenors, or members of an association covered by the Texas Bankers Association stay, because the original court order did not apply uniformly to all covered institutions.
Compliance teams may wish to monitor the CFPB’s Section 1071 rulemaking, the status of Texas Bankers Association v. CFPB, and subsequent Federal Register amendments rather than relying on the withdrawn policy statement as current guidance.
Lenders should consider retaining an audit trail for any decision to pause, scale, or continue implementation, including legal analysis of the applicable rule version, court orders, CFPB amendments, and operational or fair-lending risks.
Covered institutions may wish to assess whether existing small-business application and demographic-data processes could support future reporting, because the CFPB’s enforcement posture did not eliminate potential litigation, examination, state-law, fair-lending, or reputational exposure.
What changed
The CFPB stated that it would deprioritize enforcement and supervision of the Small Business Lending Rule against entities not covered by the court-ordered stay, citing limited resources and the perceived unfairness of treating similarly situated institutions differently. The statement did not create a formal exemption, alter Regulation B, remove Section 1071 data-collection and reporting obligations, or expand the Fifth Circuit’s stay, which initially tolled compliance dates only for the plaintiffs and intervenors in Texas Bankers Association v. CFPB.
Compliance impact
The announcement materially reduced near-term CFPB examination and enforcement risk for entities outside the court stay, but it did not itself eliminate binding Section 1071 obligations or prevent private, state, or other regulatory scrutiny. Its practical value was temporary because the statement was withdrawn on 2025-05-12 and the rule was subsequently amended through further CFPB rulemaking.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will not prioritize enforcement or supervision actions for entities that do not satisfy future deadlines to submit registration information under the regulation titled "Registry of Nonbank Covered Persons Subject to Certain Agency and Court Orders".
AI Analysis
On April 11, 2025, the CFPB announced that it will not prioritize enforcement or supervision actions against entities that miss future registration deadlines under 12 CFR part 1092, including the April 14 and July 14, 2025 deadlines. The announcement is enforcement-prioritization relief rather than a repeal, amendment, or formal suspension of the regulation; independent commentary characterizes the rule as remaining technically operative while the CFPB considers rescinding or narrowing it.
Key dates
2024-07-08
The final rule was published at 89 Fed. Reg. 56028.
2024-09-16
The final rule became effective.
2025-01-14 Deadline
Initial implementation deadline for larger participant CFPB-supervised covered nonbanks under 12 CFR 1092.206(a)(1).
2025-04-11
The CFPB announced its policy of not prioritizing enforcement or supervision actions for failures to meet future registration deadlines under 12 CFR part 1092.
2025-04-14 Deadline
Implementation registration deadline for other CFPB-supervised covered nonbanks under 12 CFR 1092.206(a)(2).
2025-07-14 Deadline
Implementation registration deadline for all other covered nonbanks under 12 CFR 1092.206(a)(3).
Suggested considerations
Compliance teams may wish to document whether the entity is a covered nonbank and whether any agency or court order meets the covered-order criteria in 12 CFR 1092.201, including the requirement that the order be a final public order identifying the entity and imposing obligations based in whole or in part on specified consumer-law or UDAAP violations.
Firms should consider preserving an inventory of potentially covered orders, registration data, and supporting legal analyses even if they elect not to file while the CFPB's prioritization policy remains in effect.
Covered entities may wish to assess whether filing by the applicable date remains preferable for licensing, supervisory, litigation, diligence, or reputational reasons, rather than treating the announcement as a definitive exemption.
Compliance teams should monitor for a proposed rulemaking, final rule, formal withdrawal, or further CFPB communication that changes the status or scope of 12 CFR part 1092.
CFPB-supervised registered entities should continue evaluating the separate annual written-statement requirements in 12 CFR 1092.204 and should not assume that the announcement eliminates obligations other than the future registration-deadline enforcement priority described.
Firms may wish to record the policy statement as an enforcement-risk and resource-allocation development, not as a statutory safe harbor against other CFPB, state, or private-party consequences for underlying consumer-law violations.
What changed
The CFPB stated that it will not prioritize enforcement or supervision actions concerning failures to submit registration information by future deadlines under the Registry of Nonbank Covered Persons Subject to Certain Agency and Court Orders, codified at 12 CFR part 1092. The stated policy covers, among other entities, nonbanks subject to the implementation deadlines in 12 CFR 1092.206(a)(2) and 12 CFR 1092.206(a)(3). The CFPB will instead focus enforcement and supervision resources on pressing threats to consumers.
Compliance impact
The immediate impact is reduced CFPB examination and enforcement prioritization risk for missed registration filings, but the policy does not expressly remove the legal requirements in 12 CFR part 1092 or prevent action by other regulators. Severity is therefore moderate for covered nonbanks: filing urgency is reduced, but coverage analysis, order tracking, underlying consumer-law compliance, and readiness for a possible rulemaking remain material.
Market infrastructures Innovation Europe & international Cooperation Other professionals Market Infrastructures Journalists Investment management companies The French and Italian authorities make proposals for a more competitive...
AI Analysis
The French (AMF) and Italian (Consob) financial authorities have jointly proposed amendments to the EU's DLT Pilot Regime to increase its competitiveness and attract market participants. The Pilot Regime, which became operational in March 2023, has underperformed with only three authorized infrastructures and minimal live trading activity, prompting regulators to recommend structural changes including greater proportionality, expanded eligible instruments, and raised activity thresholds.
Key dates
March 2023
- Pilot Regime became operational
April 9, 2025
- AMF and Consob formal proposals submitted
March 24, 2026 Deadline
- ESMA report deadline to European Commission on Pilot Regime functioning and recommendations
Q2 2026
- Expected European Commission report to Parliament and Council with recommendations on Pilot Regime extension, amendment, or permanent conversion
June 30, 2026
- End of MiCA transitional period; full crypto-asset regime implementation
Suggested considerations
*For Market Infrastructure Operators:
*Reassess Business Cases: Evaluate viability under revised €100 billion thresholds and expanded instrument eligibility
*Prepare Applications: Organizations previously excluded by €6 billion threshold should prepare authorization applications under new proportionality framework
*Monitor Commission Decisions: Track European Commission's response to ESMA report (expected Q2 2026) for final regulatory direction
*Compliance Documentation: Prepare operational and technical documentation demonstrating alignment with revised requirements
What changed
The proposed amendments address the Pilot Regime's limited uptake by introducing the following regulatory modifications: Scope Expansion
Expand eligible financial instruments from current restrictions to all financial assets
Remove categorical limitations that previously restricted participation Activity Thresholds
Raise activity thresholds from €6 billion to €100 billion
Introduce greater proportionality based on project scale, allowing smaller players simplified requirements Operational Flexibility
The Bureau will keep its enforcement and supervision resources focused on pressing threats to consumers, particularly servicemen and veterans.
AI Analysis
On March 28, 2025, the CFPB announced that it would not prioritize supervision or enforcement involving penalties or fines under the Payment Withdrawal and Payment Disclosure provisions of the Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans Regulation after those provisions became operative on March 30, 2025. The announcement is an enforcement-prioritization position, not a repeal, amendment, exemption, or formal delay of the rule; independent commentary emphasizes that state regulators may still enforce the requirements and that the CFPB may later propose to narrow the rule.
Key dates
2025-03-28
The CFPB announced that it would not prioritize supervision or enforcement involving penalties or fines under the Payment Withdrawal and Payment Disclosure provisions and said it was considering a rulemaking to narrow the rule's scope.
2025-03-30
The Payment Withdrawal and Payment Disclosure provisions of the Payday, Vehicle Title, and Certain High-Cost Installment Loans Regulation became operative after litigation-related delays.
Suggested considerations
Firms should continue treating 12 C.F.R. §§ 1041.7 and 1041.9 as operative unless and until a legally effective amendment changes them.
Compliance teams may wish to preserve controls that prevent additional payment-transfer attempts after two consecutive failed transfers for insufficient funds unless a new authorization satisfying the rule is obtained.
Firms should review pre-withdrawal, post-failure, and other payment-related notices for compliance with the applicable content, timing, and delivery requirements in 12 C.F.R. § 1041.9.
Lenders may wish to document the CFPB announcement separately from their formal compliance risk assessment, because the announcement describes enforcement priorities rather than a legal exemption or limitation on private, state, or other applicable enforcement exposure.
Firms should assess state attorney general and state regulator exposure, including the possibility of enforcement under the Consumer Financial Protection Act and applicable state consumer-protection laws.
Compliance teams may wish to monitor any CFPB notice of proposed rulemaking, Federal Register publication, litigation, and subsequent effective-date activity before changing production controls.
Covered lenders should retain evidence of payment-attempt logic, consumer authorizations, notices, exceptions, and records required by the rule so that supervisory or state inquiries can be addressed.
What changed
The CFPB stated that it would deprioritize enforcement and supervision actions concerning penalties or fines associated with the rule's Payment Withdrawal and Payment Disclosure provisions. The operative rule continues to restrict a covered lender from attempting additional payment withdrawals after two consecutive failed attempts caused by insufficient funds unless the consumer provides a new authorization, and it requires specified payment-related notices, including notices before certain withdrawals and after two consecutive failed attempts.
Compliance impact
The practical impact is reduced near-term CFPB examination and penalty risk for covered payment and disclosure provisions, but not elimination of the underlying obligations or broader enforcement exposure. The rule remains operative, and independent commentary indicates that state regulators and state attorneys general may continue to pursue violations; a future CFPB proposal would require separate notice-and-comment rulemaking before changing the rule.
Asset management The AMF updates its policy following its decision to comply with the ESMA guidelines on the names of ESG funds
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF relates to changes in its policy on the naming of ESG funds, in order to comply with ESMA guidelines. This impacts investment management firms that offer ESG-focused funds.
Sustainable Finance Asset management The Autorité des Marchés Finances has decided to apply ESMA's Guidelines on funds' names
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the Autorité des Marchés Finances (AMF) relates to the application of ESMA's Guidelines on funds' names, which is relevant for investment management and wealth management firms that offer sustainable investment products.
The Central Bank of Ireland has today (Tuesday 23 July) published a Feedback Statement to the Discussion Paper on an approach to macroprudential policy for investment funds.
AI Analysis
The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) published a Feedback Statement on 23 July 2024 summarizing stakeholder responses to its Discussion Paper (DP11) on developing a macroprudential policy framework for investment funds, emphasizing the sector's growth and systemic risks. This matters for compliance professionals as it signals ongoing domestic and international efforts to enhance fund resilience amid rapid expansion of non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI), with Ireland's funds sector reaching €6.2 trillion in assets by end-2022. No immediate new rules are imposed, but it underscores evaluation of existing measures and future policy evolution.
Key dates
18 January 2024 Deadline
- Consultation deadline for CP157 on macroprudential measures for GBP LDI funds
29 April 2024
- Announcement and start of three-month implementation period for GBP LDI yield buffer measures
23 July 2024
- Publication of Feedback Statement to DP11 on macroprudential policy for investment funds
29 July 2024 Deadline
- Effective date for GBP LDI funds' minimum 300bps yield buffer compliance (three months post-announcement)
22 November 2024
- CBI response to European Commission consultation on macroprudential policies for NBFI
Suggested considerations
For property funds: Continue adhering to pre-existing leverage/liquidity mismatch limits.
All relevant managers: Monitor CBI updates on measure evaluations, conduct ongoing vulnerability analysis, and prepare for potential toolkit expansions (e.g., stress testing, data sharing). Engage in international coordination via FSB/IOSCO and EU consultations.
General: Review fund strategies for systemic risks, update governance for macroprudential oversight, and align with CBI's DP11 principles.
What changed
This Feedback Statement introduces no new regulatory changes or requirements; it is a summary of feedback on DP11 and CBI's perspectives on macroprudential considerations for funds.
Restrictions on leverage and liquidity mismatch for Irish-authorised property funds (introduced prior to 2024).
A codified minimum 300bps yield buffer for Irish-authorised GBP-denominated Liability Driven Investment (LDI) funds, requiring resilience to UK interest rate shocks, with liquid assets in the buffer...
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium—No new rules from the Feedback Statement itself, reducing immediate pressure, but firms must ensure full compliance with implemented LDI (by July 2024) and property fund measures while preparing for evaluations and EU-level developments (e.g., November 2024 CBI response). This matters as Ireland's funds dominance (global hub status, 16% of world financial assets) amplifies systemic scrutiny, with non-compliance risking supervisory actions under AIFMD Article 25 or future tools; proactive monitoring prevents disruptions in a €68 trillion global sector.
Regulatory developments Post-trading infrastructures Market infrastructures Cooperation Journalists AMF and Banque de France call for a well-anticipated move to T+1 Settlement Cycle
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF and Banque de France calls for a move to a T+1 settlement cycle, which will impact banking, capital markets, and investment management firms.
The Central Bank of Ireland has today (29 April 2024) announced the introduction of macroprudential measures for Irish-authorised GBP-denominated Liability Driven Investment (LDI) funds. Building on the recent Consultation Paper “Macroprudential measures for GBP Liability Driven Investment funds”, the measures require…
AI Analysis
The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) introduced binding macroprudential measures on 29 April 2024 requiring Irish-authorised GBP-denominated Liability Driven Investment (LDI) funds to maintain a minimum **300 basis point yield buffer** to withstand adverse UK interest rate shocks. This regulatory intervention directly addresses systemic risks exposed during the September-October 2022 UK gilt market crisis, where excessive leverage in LDI funds amplified financial stress across markets.
- Compliance deadline for existing Irish GBP-denominated LDI funds authorised before 29 April 2024 (3-month implementation period)
Immediate Deadline
- Compliance requirement for newly authorised LDI funds after 29 April 2024
Ongoing Deadline
- New funds seeking authorisation must notify CBI of framework scope applicability
Suggested considerations
*For Existing Fund Managers (by 29 July 2024):
*Audit & Classification: Determine whether each fund falls within the regulatory scope by assessing whether the investment strategy matches asset sensitivity to UK interest rates/inflation against pre-defined investor liabilities
*Yield Buffer Assessment: Calculate current yield buffer position and identify any shortfalls against the 300 bps minimum threshold
*Portfolio Restructuring: If necessary, rebalance portfolios to achieve and maintain the 300 bps yield buffer, ensuring:
Removal of external/third-party assets from buffer calculations
What changed
The framework establishes the following core requirements for in-scope GBP-denominated LDI funds: Yield Buffer Requirement
Minimum resilience threshold of 300 basis points increase in UK yields
CBI clarifies this is a minimum floor, not a target; funds may prudently maintain higher buffers
Assets must be sufficiently liquid under both normal and stressed market conditions Yield Buffer Composition Rules
"External assets" or "third-party assets" cannot be included in the yield buffer
Asset management The AMF completes its policy on gates in master-feeder structures
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF relates to policy changes on gates in master-feeder fund structures, which is relevant for investment managers and wealth managers.
Asset management Europe & international Journalists Investment management companies Austrian, French, Italian and Spanish financial market authorities give their key priorities for a macro-prudential approach to asset management
Why this matters
This regulatory update from European financial authorities focuses on their priorities for a macro-prudential approach to asset management, which impacts investment management firms, banks, and broker-dealers. Key topics include prudential requirements, ESG, and reporting/disclosure.
Sustainable Finance Financial products Asset management Europe & international Regulatory developments The AMF publishes, in a position paper, the key principles it believes should guide the SFDR review
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (French financial markets authority) provides guidance on the review of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), which is relevant for asset managers operating in Europe.
Asset management UCIT Collective investments The AMF updates its policy on disclosures by collective investment schemes incorporating non-financial methods
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF focuses on disclosure requirements for collective investment schemes that incorporate non-financial methods, which is relevant for asset managers and wealth managers.
Asset management Requirements for investment committees and the affiliation of fund managers of asset management companies: the AMF updates its policy
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (French financial markets authority) focuses on requirements for investment committees and the affiliation of fund managers at asset management companies. It is relevant for asset managers and impacts their governance and licensing/authorization.
Marketing Savings protection Retail investors Professional investors Journalists The ACPR and AMF encourage financial institutions to continue their efforts to take account of the vulnerability of ageing clients
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the ACPR and AMF encourages financial institutions to consider the vulnerability of aging clients, which impacts consumer protection, operational resilience, and governance. It is relevant for banks, wealth managers, and the broader financial industry.
Collective investments Asset management The AMF updates its policy on the information to be provided by collective investment schemes incorporating non-financial approaches
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF focuses on the information requirements for collective investment schemes that incorporate non-financial approaches, such as ESG factors.
Crypto-assets Innovation Market infrastructures Post-trading infrastructures Market infrastuctures on blockchain technology: adaptation of the French securities laws
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (French financial regulator) relates to the adaptation of French securities laws to accommodate blockchain-based market infrastructures. This is relevant for banks, fintechs, and crypto exchanges operating in the French capital markets and crypto asset space.
Crypto-assets Digital assets: the AMF amends its policy on DASPs to clarify the transition to "enhanced" DASP registration
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (Autorité des Marchés Financiers) in France amends its policy on Digital Asset Service Providers (DASPs) to clarify the transition to an 'enhanced' DASP registration regime.
Financial services providers Asset management Marketing European Crowdfunding Services Providers: the AMF publishes a position on marketing communications
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (French financial regulator) is focused on marketing communications for European Crowdfunding Service Providers, which are relevant for asset managers, broker-dealers, and fintech firms operating in the crowdfunding space.
Asset management Employee savings funds: the AMF amends its policy on the simplified integration of liquidity management tools
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (French financial markets authority) amends its policy on the simplified integration of liquidity management tools for employee savings funds, which are investment vehicles for employee retirement savings.
Sustainable Finance Publication by the Climate and Sustainable Finance Commission: climate resolutions
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF's Climate and Sustainable Finance Commission relates to climate resolutions, which is relevant for banking, investment management, and wealth management firms from an ESG and disclosure perspective.
Asset management Extension of the preparation of a Key Information Document to all collective investments: the AMF updates its policy
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF extends the requirement to prepare a Key Information Document to all collective investments, which impacts asset managers and wealth managers. It relates to consumer protection and disclosure requirements.
Crypto-assets Innovation Digital assets: the AMF strengthens its policy on DASPs in relation to good repute and skills and promotional communications
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF strengthens its policy on digital asset service providers (DASPs) in relation to good repute, skills, and promotional communications.
Innovation The AMF publishes its proposals for an open finance framework
AI Analysis
The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France's financial markets authority, has published proposals for an **open finance framework** via a public consultation, extending open banking principles to broader financial data sharing for enhanced innovation and competition. This matters for compliance professionals as it signals upcoming regulatory requirements for secure data access, APIs, and customer consent mechanisms, aligning with EU trends toward open finance while prioritizing consumer protection and market resilience. Firms must engage early to shape the final rules and prepare systems for compliance.
Key dates
2026 (H2)
- Expected finalization of AMF AI roadmap and tokenization consultation, influencing open finance APIs
January 14, 2026
- AMF publishes 2026 priorities, including open finance as part of innovation framework
June 30, 2026
- End of MiCA transitional period, relevant for crypto/open finance intersections
TBD (consultation period) Deadline
- Public consultation on open finance proposals; firms should check AMF site for exact submission deadline (typically 1-3 months post-publication)
Suggested considerations
Review and respond to consultation: Submit feedback on proposals via AMF portal (https://www.amf-france.org/en/news-publications/news/amf-publishes-its-proposals-open-finance-framework) to influence final rules.
Conduct gap analysis: Assess current APIs, data sharing capabilities, consent processes against proposed standards; integrate DORA compliance.
Update policies: Revise customer onboarding, data protection (GDPR alignment), and TPP accreditation processes.
Engage stakeholders: Participate in AMF's asset management tokenization consultation and AI use cases study for synergies.
Test systems: Pilot secure APIs for investment/insurance data sharing; prepare for cybersecurity inspections.
What changed
The publication outlines AMF's proposals for an open finance framework, building on open banking (e.g., PSD2) to include investments, insurance, and asset management data. Key elements include:
Mandatory API-based data sharing for account information and payment initiation, extended to non-banking products like securities and insurance.
Enhanced customer consent and control mechanisms, with granular permissions, revocation rights, and strong authentication.
Security and liability standards aligned with DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act), including incident reporting and resilience testing.
Governance structure with a centralized standards body, similar to open banking hubs in the UK or EU.
Compliance impact
Urgency: High – As a consultation, immediate engagement is critical to shape rules, but full implementation may not hit until 2027+. It matters due to alignment with AMF's 2026 priorities on innovation (AI, tokenization, MiCA) and resilience (DORA, cybersecurity), risking fines or supervisory actions for non-prepared firms amid EU harmonization push. Early movers gain competitive edge in data-driven services.
Asset management The AMF is supplementing its policy on liquidity management tools
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF relates to liquidity management tools for asset managers and wealth managers, which are important for prudential requirements and operational resilience.
Asset management AMF modifies its policy to facilitate the implementation by asset management companies of the Delegated Regulation of the SFDR
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF modifies its policy to facilitate the implementation of the SFDR Delegated Regulation by asset management companies. This is relevant for investment management firms and relates to ESG/sustainability reporting and disclosure requirements.
Asset management The AMF updates its policy on management fees for collective investment undertakings (CIUs)
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF focuses on changes to management fees for collective investment undertakings, which is relevant for asset managers and wealth managers. The updates relate to consumer protection and disclosure requirements.
Regulatory developments Europe & international Sustainable Finance Periodic & ongoing disclosures AMF's response to the International Sustainability Standards Board’s consultation on the exposure drafts on international sustainability disclosures
AI Analysis
The Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), France's financial markets regulator, issued a position paper on July 27, 2022, responding to the International Sustainability Standards Board's (ISSB) consultation on exposure drafts for international sustainability disclosure standards (IFRS S1 and S2). This matters for compliance professionals as it signals France's push for global-EU interoperability in ESG reporting, influencing how firms align ISSB "investor-focused" standards with Europe's double-materiality CSRD/ESRS framework to avoid dual reporting burdens. https://www.amf-france.org/en/news-publications/amfs-eu-positions/amf-response-issb-consultation-exposure-drafts-sustainability-disclosure-standards; https://www.amf-france.org/sites/institutionnel/files/private/2022-07/Position%20paper%20ISSB%20AMF%20-%20July%202022_0.pdf
Suggested considerations
Monitor and map standards: Conduct gap analyses between current disclosures, ESRS, and ISSB S1/S2, focusing on interoperability (e.g., climate metrics, Scope 3 GHG).
Engage in transitions: Participate in potential ISSB Transition Resource Group or jurisdictional groups; prepare for phased ISSB implementation if adopted locally.
Enhance reporting processes: Update materiality assessments for double-materiality, quantitative climate financial impacts, and ESG breadth; leverage AMF's 2025 study on listed firms for benchmarks.
Stakeholder dialogue: Respond to ongoing consultations (e.g., EFRAG until Sep 2025) and track ISSB agenda priorities.
What changed
This is not a new regulation but AMF's recommendations to ISSB, emphasizing:
Interoperability with EU standards: AMF urges alignment between ISSB's financial materiality approach and EFRAG's double-materiality (impact + financial) ESRS, including jurisdictional working groups...
Broad ESG coverage: Calls for sector-agnostic standards beyond climate (e.g., full ESG spectrum via collaboration with EFRAG/GRI).
Phased implementation: Suggests gradual rollout of detailed requirements (e.g., Appendix B in S2) and an ISSB "Transition Resource Group" like IASB's for IFRS 9/15/17 to aid implementation.
Double-materiality advocacy: Prefers standards addressing all stakeholders, not just investors. No binding changes; ISSB issued final IFRS S1/S2 in June 2023.
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium. This 2022 AMF response is historical but highly relevant amid 2025 EFRAG simplifications emphasizing ISSB interoperability, as EU firms juggle CSRD with global ISSB momentum (e.g., IFRS finals in 2023). Matters for avoiding reporting fragmentation, with risks of supervisory scrutiny on French listed firms; low immediate enforcement but builds toward mandatory convergence.
Regulatory developments Europe & international Sustainable Finance Periodic & ongoing disclosures AMF's response to the EFRAG consultation on the draft European sustainability reporting standards
AI Analysis
The AMF's position paper responds to EFRAG's 2022 public consultation on the first set of draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) under the CSRD, welcoming their ambition on ESG topics and double materiality while urging proportionality, international interoperability, materiality focus, and alignment with EU laws like SFDR. This matters for compliance professionals as it shapes final ESRS, influencing mandatory sustainability disclosures for EU firms and financial market participants from 2024 onward, with potential simplifications affecting reporting burdens. https://www.amf-france.org/en/news-publications/news/amfs-response-efrag-consultation-draft-european-sustainability-reporting-standards
Key dates
July 2022
- AMF submits response to EFRAG consultation on draft ESRS. https://www.amf-france.org/sites/institutionnel/files/private/2022-07/AMF%20appendix%20to%20position%20paper%20on%20EFRAG%20consultation%20July%202022.pdf
2024
- First CSRD application for FY 2024 reports (large public-interest entities). https://www.amf-france.org/sites/institutionnel/files/private/2022-07/AMF%20appendix%20to%20position%20paper%20on%20EFRAG%20consultation%20July%202022.pdf
2025
- ESRS adoption by European Commission (first set covering SFDR needs). https://www.amf-france.org/sites/institutionnel/files/private/2022-07/AMF%20appendix%20to%20position%20paper%20on%20EFRAG%20consultation%20July%202022.pdf
2025); - EC Delegated Act on simplified ESRS, subject to 2-month EU Parliament/Council scrutiny. https://www.efrag.org/en/news-and-calendar/news/efrag-provides-its-technical-advice-on-draft-simplified-esrs-to-the-european-commission
Suggested considerations
Monitor ESRS evolution: Track EFRAG/EC updates on final standards, focusing on AMF priorities like materiality guidance and ISSB mapping.
Align reporting systems: Map ESRS to SFDR/Taxonomy data; test proportionality phased rollouts (e.g., climate first).
Engage stakeholders: Participate in ongoing consultations (e.g., EFRAG connectivity); benchmark against ISSB for interoperability.
What changed
This is a consultation response, not a final rule, but AMF highlights these priorities for ESRS development:
International interoperability: Convergence with ISSB standards to avoid duplication and meet investor needs across jurisdictions.
Proportionality in disclosures: Gradual implementation, prioritizing climate standards, balancing stakeholder needs with issuer costs, and ensuring SFDR coverage.
Materiality focus: Enhanced guidance on materiality assessments, centering company-led analysis without presuming topics' materiality upfront.
EU consistency: Avoid duplicating info from SFDR, Taxonomy, and other regs; rely on existing concepts.
Compliance impact
Urgency: Medium - Historical (2022) input shapes binding ESRS already applying in 2024/2025, but ongoing simplifications (e.g., 2025 EC advice) offer relief on burdens; critical for FY2026+ prep amid interoperability push, yet not immediate mandates. Matters for reducing overload, ensuring SFDR compliance, and avoiding EU fines (up to 10M EUR under CSRD).
Crypto-assets Digital assets: the AMF updates its policy on DASPs
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF focuses on updating its policy on digital asset service providers (DASPs), which are firms operating in the crypto and digital assets space.
Asset management The AMF updates its policy on funds with high fees
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF focuses on funds with high fees, which impacts investment management and wealth management firms. It relates to consumer protection and disclosure requirements.
Market infrastructures Post-trading infrastructures Review of the central clearing framework in the EU: the AMF publishes a position paper
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF discusses a review of the central clearing framework in the EU, which is relevant for banks, broker-dealers, and asset managers involved in capital markets and trading activities.
Asset management The AMF updates its policy on portfolio asset management company control systems and programmes of operations
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF focuses on portfolio asset management company control systems and programmes of operations, which is relevant for investment management and wealth management firms. It covers operational resilience and authorization/licensing requirements.
Asset management Collective investments The AMF updates its policy on the marketing communications of collective investments
Why this matters
This update from the AMF relates to the marketing communications of collective investment schemes, which impacts asset managers and wealth managers. It touches on consumer protection and authorization/licensing requirements.
Asset management Update of the AMF's policy on funds that use Total Return Swaps and communicate about their consideration of non-financial criteria
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF (French financial markets authority) is focused on funds that use Total Return Swaps and communicate about their consideration of non-financial criteria, which falls under the ESG/sustainability and reporting/disclosure topics.
Long term investment Shares Stimulating the diversification of long-term savings: the AMF proposes an educational approach to equity investment
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF focuses on stimulating the diversification of long-term savings through an educational approach to equity investment. It is relevant for investment managers, wealth managers, and banks that offer long-term savings products.
Asset management Transposition of the directive on the cross-border distribution of collective investment undertakings: the AMF amends its General Regulation and its policy
Why this matters
This regulatory update from the AMF relates to the transposition of a directive on the cross-border distribution of collective investment undertakings. It impacts asset managers and wealth managers who distribute such funds across borders.