On September 29, the Basel Committee published the results of its latest Basel III monitoring exercise, based on 31 December 2020 data. The report sets out the impact of the Basel III framework including the December 2017 finalisation of the Basel III reforms and the January 2019 finalisation of the market risk framework. It includes a special feature on exemptions from the leverage ratio exposure measure due to Covid-19, and covers both Group 1 and 2 banks (see note to editors for definitions). The final Basel III minimum requirements will be implemented by 1 January 2023 and fully phased in by 1 January 2028. The average impact of the fully phased-in final Basel III framework on the Tier 1 minimum required capital (MRC) of Group 1 banks is +2.9%, compared to a 1.8% increase at end-December 2019. This higher impact for Group 1 banks and G-SIBs may be partially driven by the different treatment of some outlier banks. Continue reading…

Every day, 20% of all bank staff in the Netherlands is engaged in detecting financial crime. This is a direct consequence of the anti-money laundering and terrorist financing legislation introduced since 2001. Detection efforts are mostly manual and therefore very inefficient: 95% of all alerts generated by transaction monitoring systems are false positives. These are the findings of regulatory technology specialist Hyarchis in its new Regulatory Technology on the Rise report, published recently. Continue reading…

Throughout 2021, the Basel Committee has written newsletters about improving banks’ resilience to cyber threats, climate-related financial risk, how to develop global sustainability standards, and the impact of financial digitization on the banking system. The amount of external cyber threats and incidents, such as ransomware attacks, have made banks concerned, and poses major risks to their financial systems and the safety of individual banks. Continue reading…

The FSB recently published its new Financial Stability Surveillance Framework. The framework supports the comprehensive, methodical and disciplined review of vulnerabilities by the FSB, and thereby helps to identify and address new and emerging risks to financial stability. The framework embodies four key principles: focus on vulnerabilities that may have implications for global financial stability; scan vulnerabilities systematically and with a forward-looking perspective, while preserving flexibility; recognise differences among countries; and leverage the comparative advantages of the FSB while avoiding duplication of work. Continue reading…

Insurance firms may not be ready to implement new product governance rules there to ensure insurance provides fair value, according to a review published by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Part of the FCA’s ongoing work to ensure consumers receive fair value, the review looked at how firms designed, sold and reviewed their products to ensure they met the needs of their customers. The findings show that some firms had made good progress in meeting the FCA’s existing rules and guidance on product governance and value, issued in 2018 and 2019, as well as against temporary guidance on product value, issued in response to Covid-19 last year.

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by Nigel Rizzo

Researchers have found a security flaw in Apple Pay with a Visa card in the digital wallet. The digital version of pick-pocketing works over the air even when the iPhone is locked. Although the new setting ‘express transit’ allows millions of people to pay without a card, it makes it easier for hackers to steal from your phone. The iPhone could be in a bag or in someone’s pocket and be charged without the owner’s consent and there is no transaction limit.

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On October 1st, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) published its approach for the implementation of Interbank Offered Rates (IBOR) transitions including with regards to timing and implementation. EIOPA will implement the updated methodology for the calculation of the risk-free interest rates as of January 2022 for the British pound, Swiss franc and Japanese yen. Continue reading…

by Elena Pykhova

Operational resilience has always been part of the agenda of financial services firms. During the past 18 months of the widespread long-lasting disruption, it has been put to the test, and it is not surprising that regulatory emphasis on maintaining continuity of critical operations has resulted in multiple recent publications. The Basel Committee’s principles for operational resilience1 urge the firms to up their continuity and recovery capabilities. UK regulatory guidance2 goes a step further, setting out a clear plan and roadmap for firms to define business services and their impact tolerances by March 2022 and ensure their ability to operate within set tolerances by 2025. So, how far advanced are financial services firms in complying with the new set of requirements? Continue reading…

In the early hours of 4 September, coordinated simultaneous actions in Basilicata (Italy) and in the Republic of Moldova resulted in the takedown of a criminal human trafficking network, saving nearly 90 victims from severe labour exploitation under horrid conditions. In the coming days, authorities will focus on tracing the victims of exploitation to provide legal assistance and protection. The joint action was the result of an intense investigative effort and structured international judicial cooperation during the past year coordinated through the Italian Desk at Eurojust in close cooperation with the Eurojust contact point in the Republic of Moldova at the General Prosecutor’s Office and with the support of Europol. Continue reading…