Eurojust, Europol and the European Judicial Network have published the 2024 edition of the SIRIUS European Union (EU) Electronic Evidence Situation Report. First presented at the SIRIUS Annual Conference to an audience of EU law enforcement and judicial authorities, policymakers, and representatives of service providers, the report reflects on the evolving legislative framework and the growing reliance on electronic data in criminal investigations, while highlighting the persistent barriers to effective cooperation in accessing electronic data across borders for investigation and prosecution of crimes.

Continue reading…

by Hassan Zebdeh

Trade-based financial crime (TBFC) is one of the most insidious threats to global finance. This shadowy practice has been plaguing international trade for years, perhaps as long as modern trade itself has existed. It’s the biggest fraud most people never heard of, quietly siphoning away trillions under the radar of even the most vigilant regulators. Continue reading…

The latest Eurobarometer has recently released reveals the highest level of trust in the European Union since 2007 and the highest-ever support for the euro. The survey also shows that Europeans have a more optimistic view about the future. They would like to see a stronger and more independent EU, especially in the face of the current global challenges. Continue reading…

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has on 29 November published the autumn edition of its risk assessment report (RAR). The Report is accompanied by the publication of the 2024 EU-wide transparency exercise, which provides detailed information, in a comparable and accessible format, for 123 banks from 26 countries across the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). Continue reading…

by Ajay Katara

Large financial institutions (LFI), defined as firms with $100 billion or more in assets, are supervised to enhance their resilience and reduce the likelihood of failure. This oversight also aims to limit the broader economic and financial system impact if such a firm experiences failure or significant weakness. Large banking organisations are classified into four categories, each with distinct regulatory requirements. Continue reading…

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) Regional Consultative Group for Europe (RCG Europe) met on 14 and 15 November in Munich, Germany. The meeting was hosted by the Deutsche Bundesbank and Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin). On the first day, members participated in a workshop on the financial stability implications of private credit. Members discussed the drivers of growth of this form of credit and the benefits it brings to the broader economy. They also discussed the need to enhance understanding of potential risks, given limited data on the market, as well as existing regulations. Continue reading…

IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Pasqal have on 21 November announced an update to their intended collaboration to build new, integrated frameworks for quantum-centric supercomputing with Qiskit, the world’s most performant quantum software. The two companies will soon begin developing a unified programming model to facilitate seamless interoperability across different types of quantum computing hardware. This integrated architecture will work across IBM’s next-generation and utility-scale quantum computers, Pasqal’s neutral atom-based quantum devices, and classical high-performance computing (HPC) resources such as CPUs and GPUs. Continue reading…

The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) Executive Committee has approved the final version of the Insurance Capital Standard (ICS) as a prescribed capital requirement for internationally active insurance groups (IAIGs), which will be recommended for adoption at the IAIS Annual General Meeting on 5 December 2024. Continue reading…

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has on 14 November published The Financial Stability Implications of Artificial Intelligence, a report outlining recent developments in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in finance and their potential implications for financial stability. Widespread adoption and more diverse use cases of AI have prompted the FSB to revisit its 2017 report on AI and machine learning in financial services. Financial firms currently use AI mainly to enhance internal operations and improve regulatory compliance, but generative AI (GenAI) and large language models have given rise to new use cases, such as document summarisation, information retrieval, and code generation. Continue reading…

Trade-based financial crime (TBFC) is responsible for an estimated $1.6 trillion in losses each year, nearly a third of the total cost of global fraud, which stands at $5.127 trillion annually. Yet, despite its massive economic impact, TBFC is alarmingly underreported in the media, making up just 0.1% of all fraud-related mentions in articles over the last year.  Continue reading…