by Michel Klompmaker

Last week from October 10 to October 13, the RAI Congress Center was all about SIBOS. It started with the official opening by Queen Maxima, who appeared on stage just in time to dutifully read her story from the paper. She spoke in her capacity as “United Nations Secretary-General’s Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA)”. Her presentation was preceded by that of Swift chairman Yawar Shah, who was of course very content with the fact that SIBOS was able to be held live again after three years. During the plenary opening, CEO Javier Pérez-Tasso also spoke about the challenges of the sector. Mairead McGuiness, EU Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets spoke to us via video link. Those were strange days because somehow there was a kind of weird atmosphere and menace over the market. Not in the sense of a sudden fall in the stock markets, but rather the threat of a nuclear conflict on European soil after the attack on the Russian bridge towards Crimea. The same thoughts came back to me from September 2008, during SIBOS in Vienna, when it was announced that Lehman Brothers had fallen over…

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On 15 October, Klaas Knot delivered a speech at the 37th Annual G30 International Banking Seminar. Shocks are hitting the euro area economy. A mixture of global shocks has set-off high inflation. The pandemic first caused supply chain restrictions, pushing up inflation, which was subsequently reinforced by pent-up demand. This strong demand shock effect in the first half of this year has been an upside surprise for central banks. A similar pattern can be observed in the energy crisis as a result of the war in Ukraine. The disrupted energy supply is a classic negative supply shock leading to elevated energy prices. Governments have responded with extensive fiscal measures, which support demand. If the scope of the support measures is too broad, they will fuel inflation. Continue reading…

In new guidance published on October 11th, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has set additional expectations for banks that are considering branch or ATM closures. The guidance, which already expects banks to carry out thorough checks on the impact permanent closures will have on customers, has now been extended to cover partial closures. While banks may continue to transform their businesses in line with changing technology and customer behaviour, they should consider the impact changes to services will have on customers’ everyday banking needs. Continue reading…

This report presents key developments in the area of migration and asylum, and it takes stock of the progress achieved in the New Pact on Migration and Asylum in the past year. It identifies key challenges ahead, highlighting the need for further progress towards a responsible and fair migration management system in the EU. From Russia’s war against Ukraine causing the largest forced displacement of people in Europe since the Second World War, to the instrumentalisation of migration for political purposes by the Belarusian regime, through a pandemic and unprecedented travel restrictions, all alongside continued and even growing pressure on traditional migratory routes – the EU has over the last year been faced with a series of challenges with major repercussions for migration, asylum and border management. Continue reading…

Following dialogues with the Commission and the network of national consumer protection (CPC) authorities, multinational e-commerce business Shopify has committed to making several improvements to make shopping safer for customers, bringing it in line with EU rules. The dialogue first originated following the receipt of numerous complaints, which peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the European Consumer Centres. The complaints mainly related to web stores hosted by the platform, found to have engaged in illegal practices, such as making fake offers and fake scarcity claims, supplying counterfeit goods or not providing their contact details. The Commission, together with the CPC, and led by Belgium’s Directorate General for Economic Inspection, launched a dialogue with Shopify in July 2021, aimed at introducing changes to address the illegal practices of traders in its platform. Continue reading…

As disruptive forces roil today’s financial sector, banking execs are scrutinising the evolving role of banks in the most competitive market they’ve ever faced. What does the future hold? And how can they meet the challenges ahead to forge a brighter future – both for the industry and the greater world? Such is the focus of a new future of banking study, Banking in 2035: three possible futures, by Economist Impact. Continue reading…

Specialised public prosecutors from the United States and EU Member States will step up their cooperation to tackle major cross-border and intercontinental environmental crime. During a dedicated liaison meeting, hosted by Eurojust, officials devised a process to set environmental crime priorities for operational action, criminal intelligence sharing, and developing cooperation tools and mechanisms to exchange information and best practices. Continue reading…

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s securities markets regulator, has published the second Trends, Risks and Vulnerabilities (TRV) Report of 2022. The Russian war on Ukraine against a backdrop of already-increasing inflation has profoundly impacted the risk environment of EU financial markets, with overall risks to ESMA’s remit remaining at its highest level. In the first half of 2022 financial markets saw faltering recoveries, increasing volatility and likelihood of market corrections. Separately, crypto-markets saw large falls in value and the collapse of an algorithmic stablecoin, highlighting again the very high-risk nature of the sector. Continue reading…

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), the Bank for International Settlements’ Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) (the standard setters) has on September 29 published the report Review of margining practices. The report feeds into the Financial Stability Board’s work programme to enhance the resilience of the non-bank financial intermediation sector. It looks at margin calls during the high market volatility and “dash for cash” in March and April 2020. It also reviews margin practices transparency, predictability and volatility across various jurisdictions and markets, as well as market participants’ preparedness to meet margin calls. Continue reading…

The Commission welcomes the Council’s adoption of an eighth package of hard-hitting sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine. This package – which has been closely coordinated with our international partners – responds to Russia’s continued escalation and illegal war against Ukraine, including by illegally annexing Ukrainian territory based on sham “referenda”, mobilising additional troops, and issuing open nuclear threats.
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