European Union: Financial Services

This update is brought to you by our Regulatory & Risk Advisory practice group in Ireland.

Ireland's EU Council Presidency from July to December 2026 brings an ambitious financial services agenda centered on European competitiveness.

FinanceMalta speaks with Jochen Biedermann, Managing Director of the World Alliance of International Financial Centres, exploring the evolving landscape of global financial centers. The discussion examines how geopolitical shifts, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence are reshaping international finance hubs and their strategic positioning in the modern economy.

Luxembourg is modernizing its securitisation framework through two key legislative reforms: the Draft Securitisation Bill and the Deferred Capital Law. These amendments expand financing options for securitisation vehicles, permit active management of broader asset classes in private transactions, and allow deferred payment of share capital for SARLs, potentially reducing incorporation timelines from months to days.

Malta's Financial Services Advisory Council is transitioning from foundational infrastructure development to an aggressive market capture strategy, aiming to convert regulatory advances and institutional coordination into measurable foreign investment and competitive positioning.

Ο περί Μεταβιβάσεως και Υποθηκεύσεως Ακινήτων (Τροποποιητικός) Νόμος του 2026 (Ν. 76(Ι)/2026)...

The EU's Capital Requirements Directive VI introduces a mandatory establishment requirement for certain non-EU banking service providers operating in the European Union, fundamentally altering how Irish funds...

The Civil Court, First Hall (Constitutional Jurisdiction), in the judgment Phoenix Payments Limited (now Lazarus Long Limited) v the Malta Financial Services Authority and the State Advocate...

On 24 April 2026, the Joint Committee (JC) of the three European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs)—comprising the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA)—published its Annual Report for 2025. The JC, chaired in 2025 by EIOPA,1 continued to serve as the central coordinating forum facilitating dialogue and information exchange among the ESAs, the European Commission and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB).