The European Commission has approved unconditionally, under the EU Merger Regulation, the creation of a joint venture by Deutsche Telekom AG Orange SA, Telefónica S.A. and Vodafone Group plc. The Commission concluded that the transaction would raise no competition concerns in the European Economic Area (‘EEA’). The joint venture will offer a platform to support brands and publishers’ digital marketing and advertising activities in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Subject to the user’s consent, the joint venture will generate a unique digital code derived from the user’s mobile or fixed network subscription. Such code will allow brands and publishers to recognize users on their websites or applications on a pseudonymous basis, group them under different categories and tailor their content to specific users’ groups.
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by Mark Worth

When doctors at Vilnius City Clinical Hospital demanded bribes of up to €400 from patients in order to receive medical care, one patient stood up and said no. Out of the person’s civic duty, the hospital’s director and four doctors are under investigation, and more than €70,000 in fines have been imposed. As a way of showing gratitude, Lithuanian officials gave the whistleblower a monetary reward. The reward was one of 57 that Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) paid to corruption witnesses in 2022, the highest being €2,500. Rewards totalled €40,000 last year, nearly double the €22,000 the STT paid to 31 whistleblowers the year before. Continue reading…

Judicial and law enforcement authorities in the Netherlands and Germany have dealt another blow to the use of encrypted communications by criminal networks. Eurojust and Europol have supported the dismantling of the Exclu application, which had an estimated 3 000 users, including members of organised crime groups (OCGs). During an action day last week, 45 arrests took place in the Netherlands and Belgium. The arrested persons included users of the application, but also administrators and owners of the Exclu service. Furthermore, 79 locations were searched in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland. Following this operation, the service is no longer available for users.

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The FCA alleges Argento Wealth Ltd (AWL) unlawfully did the following: took approximately £2.8 million as deposits under loan agreements and/or as part of an unauthorised collective investment scheme; unlawfully arranged investments in EMB Fund Limited (EMB) totalling about US$9 million; and breached the restrictions on financial promotion. The FCA alleges that Mr Willis was knowingly concerned in this unlawful activity. The FCA considers that AWL and Mr Willis have failed to produce credible evidence that AWL can repay the funds borrowed from both retail investors and EMB (plus the interest due), and AWL is therefore insolvent. The FCA has obtained undertakings equivalent to interim orders freezing AWL’s/Mr Willis’ remaining assets. Continue reading…

by Erika Eliasson-Norris

Company culture and governance are intertwined, influencing and reflecting upon one another – which is why a lack of governance is to blame for bad company culture. Just as governance starts at the top of a business and must be shared with the layers of business, company culture spreads from the top too. Whether your company’s governance is good or bad will determine if the company culture is good or bad. Continue reading…

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, travelled to Kyiv last week, accompanied by 15 Commissioners, for the first ever meeting between the College and the Ukrainian Government. The meeting takes place back to back with the EU-Ukraine summit, the first since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the granting of candidate status. The meeting between the College and the government of Ukraine sends a strong signal of the EU’s unwavering commitment to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes, including with a new €450 million assistance package for 2023 announced by President von der Leyen. This brings the total support made available so far to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war from the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions to around €50 billion. In addition to this, the Commission is working towards a €1 billion contribution to fast recovery. Continue reading…

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has recently published an Opinion on the draft European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) developed by the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG). In this Opinion, addressed to the European Commission, the EBA acknowledges that, overall, the draft ESRS are consistent with international standards and any other relevant EU Regulation. In addition, the EBA very much welcomes the level of alignment with the Pillar 3 disclosure requirements reached at this stage. The EBA also highlights a few aspects that should deserve further consideration by the European Commission. Continue reading…

Are you ready to protect your company and employees from misconduct? Look no further than the Dutch Whistleblower Protection Act! Formerly known as the Wet Huis voor Klokkenluiders, this powerful legislation was established in 2016 to ensure that those who report abuses and wrongdoing in good faith will not be disadvantaged in their careers. Despite delays in implementation, progress is being made and the Netherlands is finally taking steps to fully transpose the EU Whistleblowing Directive into Dutch law. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay informed and prepare your internal processes and tools. Continue reading…

by Elena Pykhova

This year’s view of the risk landscape, with input from Best Practice Operational risk forum comprised of practitioners from over 50 national and international organisations. In this turbulent year, firms face a complex web of risks, some new and others very familiar but re-shaped due to new aspects and features. Continue reading…

Supported by Eurojust, judicial and law enforcement authorities in Romania and the Republic of Moldova have taken coordinated action against border officials who allegedly demanded and accepted bribery to facilitate the illegal passage of vehicles transporting passengers or parcels. During an action day, eight suspects were detained and 45 locations were searched across Romania and the Republic of Moldova. Eurojust provided assistance to the Romanian and Moldovan judicial authorities in setting up and funding a joint investigation team (JIT).

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