Australia

UNEPFI – Guidelines for Climate Target Setting for Banks

On 21 April 2021, the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEPFI) published guidelines for climate targets setting for banks. The guidelines outline key principles to underpin the setting of credible, robust, impactful and ambitious targets in line with achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The guidelines outline four principles for target-setting: Banks shall … Continue Reading

Basel Committee publishes work programme and strategic priorities for 2021-22

On 16 April 2021, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel Committee) published its work programme for 2021-22. The work programme focuses on three key themes: COVID-19 resilience and recovery. This includes ongoing monitoring and assessment of risks and vulnerabilities to the global banking system. Horizon scanning and mitigation of medium-term risks and trends. This … Continue Reading

Part 7: The Biden Presidency and new and improved anti-money laundering tools

By Kathleen Scott (US), Clarinda Grundy, Lisa Lee Lewis (UK), Weronika Sowa, Jeremy Moller, Tim Stewart, Rajaee Rouhani and Nathan Condoleon on April 19, 2021 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

2021 Financial crime Outlook series Senior management and boards are increasingly acknowledging the threat of financial crime as a critical risk to their business that must be addressed. This has been exacerbated in the last 12 months through the impact of the pandemic as well as rising domestic and international tensions. Our financial crime compliance … Continue Reading

Basel Committee report on climate-related risk drivers and their transmission channels

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on April 15, 2021 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 14 April 2021, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel Committee) published a report ‘Climate-related risk drivers and their transmission channels’. The report explores how climate-related financial risks can arise and impact both banks and the banking system. By synthesising existing literature, it illustrates how physical and transition climate risk drivers affect banks’ financial … Continue Reading

Global Asset Management Quarterly – new issue

The latest issue of our Global Asset Management Quarterly publication is now available. In this issue we cover: Europe European update EU/UK regulatory roundup United Kingdom Asset managers and the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures UK funds regime review Germany German Draft Fund Jurisdiction Promotion Act Australia Greenwashing: International initiatives taken to address the … Continue Reading

Global Securities Financing Data Collection and Aggregation: FAQs

On 12 April 2021, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) issued FAQs to promote a common approach on the national implementation of the SFT Data Standards. In November 2015 the FSB developed the data standards and processes for collecting and aggregating global data on securities financing transactions (SFTs) (the SFT Data Standards). These built on the … Continue Reading

EIOPA launches IDD single rulebook online

By Laura Hodgson (UK) on April 13, 2021 Posted in EU policy, regulatory and legislative updates, EU policy, regulatory and legislative updates, EU policy, regulatory and legislative updates, EU policy, regulatory and legislative updates, France, Germany, IDD, Insurance, Insurance, Insurance, Insurance, Insurance, Italy, The Netherlands

On 8 April 2021, the European Insurance and Occupational Pension Authority (EIOPA) published a single rulebook online containing requirements under the Insurance Distribution Directive ((EU) 2016/97). The single rulebook covers the Insurance Distribution Directive, the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/2358) (on product governance and oversight), Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1935 (requirements relating to insurance-based investment products) and … Continue Reading

Financial services monthly wrap-up – March 2021

By Jon Ireland, Ray Giblett (AU), Stephen Putnins, Angus Jamieson (AU), Timothy Chan (AU), Alex Madry and Caterina Presutti on April 12, 2021 Posted in Australia, Financial advice, General, Regulators, Regulatory Compliance, Uncategorized

March 2021 has seen the release of legislative reforms to advice fee consent and lack of independence disclosure by financial advisers. ASIC has clarified its position on virtual AGMs and released an interim report on competition in the managed funds industry. APRA has urged life insurers and superannuation funds to ensure their insurance offerings and … Continue Reading

GFXC publishes request for feedback on proposed changes to the Code and draft disclosure templates

On 8 April 2021, the Global Foreign Exchange Committee (GFXC) announced that as its review of the FX Global Code was nearing completion it was issuing a request for feedback on proposed changes to the Code and draft disclosure templates. The GFXC’s request for feedback covers proposals for updating the Code’s guidance in the following … Continue Reading

G20 – Communique of 2nd Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting

On 7 April 2021, there was published an official communique following the second meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors under the Italian G20 Presidency. During the meeting the discussion spanned from issues covering the global economy, efforts to push forward the economic recovery and promoting more sustainable growth, to supporting the most … Continue Reading

Regulation Tomorrow Podcast – Episode 6 out now

By Kevin Harnisch (US), Claudine Salameh, Matthew Gregory (UK), Simon Lovegrove (UK) and Arup Sen on April 9, 2021 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Seminars, webinars and podcasts, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Episode 6 of the Regulation Tomorrow Podcast is out now. In the latest edition of our monthly podcast, we take a look at some of the main regulatory news stories from across the globe in the financial services space. We begin with a look at the Woolard Review in the UK with Matthew Gregory, who … Continue Reading

Navigating global crypto-custody requirements

29 April 2021 09:00 – 10:00 BST / 16:00 – 17:00 HKT 16:00 – 17:00 BST / 11:00 – 12:00 EDT As the global crypto-economy continues to grow and mature, one area stands out as a critical core capability: custody. In this webinar, members of our global financial services team will compare notes on their … Continue Reading

Financier Worldwide Magazine feature – Regulatory futures: challenges and opportunities in 2021

Throughout 2020 and 2021, financial services firms have had to respond and adapt to a number of regulatory challenges in an unprecedented fashion. Firms now have to navigate a diverging regulatory landscape as a result of Brexit, at the same time as continuing to respond to an array of pandemic-related risks that have arisen. Nevertheless, … Continue Reading

FSB chair updates G20 on COVID-19 support measures, and a roadmap to address climate-related financial risks

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on April 7, 2021 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 6 April 2021, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published a letter from its Chair, Randal K. Quarles, to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors ahead of their virtual meeting on 7 April. The FSB also delivered to the G20 a report on factors to be considered in extending, amending and ending COVID-19 support … Continue Reading

FSB final report – evaluation of the effects of too-big-to-fail reforms

On 31 March 2021, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published the final report on its evaluation of the effects of too-big-to-fail (TBTF) reforms for systemically important banks (SIBs). The evaluation examines the extent to which the reforms have reduced the systemic and moral hazard risks associated with SIBs, as well as their broader effects on … Continue Reading

Basel Committee issues principles for operational resilience and risk

On 31 March 2021, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision issued Principles for operational resilience, designed to make banks better able to withstand, adapt to and recover from severe adverse events. The Basel Committee has also issued revisions to its Principles for the sound management of operational risks reflecting the natural relationship between operational resilience … Continue Reading

Monthly Global FinTech regulatory updater

Every month we provide the Global Blockchain Business Council’s Post-Trade Distributed Ledger group with a global regulatory FinTech updater, the latest version of which can be found here. Post Trade Distributed Ledger (PTDL) Group is composed of over 40 prominent market infrastructure stakeholders whose shared vision of the use of distributed ledger technology has brought … Continue Reading

Monthly Global FinTech regulatory updater

IIFM White Paper – Global Benchmark Rate Reforms and Implications of IBOR Transition for Islamic Finance

On 22 March 2021, the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) issued a White Paper ‘Global Benchmark Rate Reforms and Implications of IBOR Transition for Islamic Finance’. The White Paper is based on contributions from leading financial institutions, accounting firms, law firms (including Norton Rose Fulbright) and other market participants. Its purpose is to create awareness … Continue Reading

Public consultation on FATF draft guidance on a risk-based approach to virtual assets and virtual asset service providers

On 19 March 2021, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issued a public consultation on proposed revisions to its 2019 guidance on the risk-based approach to virtual assets (VAs) and virtual asset service providers (VASPs). The FATF is proposing to update its guidance in order to: Clarify the definitions of VA and VASP to make … Continue Reading

Production of information to government authorities: a combined US and UK review

Information requests from regulators can raise a host of complex legal and practical issues for entities and individuals. Our experts in this field have set out the key considerations around the production of information to UK and US regulators, including information-gathering powers, privilege issues and increased global data sharing. Information-gathering powers Many UK regulators have … Continue Reading

Mitigating the unintended consequences of the FATF Standards

By Clarinda Grundy on March 19, 2021 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 18 March 2021, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) announced that in February it had launched a new project to study and mitigate the unintended consequences resulting from the incorrect implementation of the FATF Standards. The project will look at four areas: De-risking. Financial exclusion. Suppression of non-profit organisations (NPOs) or the NPO sector … Continue Reading

Legal update – Australia | Financial services monthly wrap-up: February 2021

By Jon Ireland, Ray Giblett (AU), Stephen Putnins, Timothy Chan (AU) and Angus Jamieson (AU) on March 19, 2021 Posted in Australia, General, Uncategorized

The month of February 2021 has seen continued momentum for a raft of changes affecting financial services providers from various industries. APRA has released its new policies and priorities for 2021, which have a particular focus on the impacts of COVID-19 and seek to strengthen the financial services sector in dealing with future crises. The ‘Your … Continue Reading

The FATF and Egmont Group publishes updated trade-based money laundering risk indicators

On 11 March 2021 the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Egmont Group published a joint report on trade-based money laundering (TBML) risk indicators. This follows on from a report published in December last year by the same bodies highlighting pertinent trends and developments with respect to TBML for market participants to be aware of. … Continue Reading