Finance Law and Banking Law

The European Union's sixth Capital Requirements Directive introduces significant changes to third-country undertakings providing banking services in the EU, requiring branch establishment by January 2027. Ireland's Central Bank advances its innovation agenda through AI-focused regulatory engagement, while EIOPA publishes comprehensive guidelines on insurance recovery and resolution frameworks.

The Central Bank of Ireland has completed its comprehensive review of delegation practices across the Irish funds sector, examining how fund management companies oversee delegated activities while maintaining regulatory compliance. Through detailed surveys and onsite inspections, the regulator assessed governance frameworks, risk management controls, and data capabilities, identifying both strengths and areas requiring immediate improvement by year-end 2026.

EU-headquartered credit institutions lending to Irish aviation and asset finance sectors through non-EU branches face questions about whether new CRD VI authorisation requirements apply to their operations. This analysis examines the regulatory framework's impact on cross-border lending structures and explores whether the location of a branch affects compliance obligations for institutions whose head offices remain within the European Union.

From 11 January 2027, non-EU banks and significant investment firms must establish licensed branches in each EU Member State where they provide core banking services, or operate through authorized EU entities. Ireland has implemented CRD VI's Article 21c requirements through faithful transposition, introducing a third-country branch regime that affects cross-border lending involving Irish companies, with important exemptions including reverse solicitation that may enable continued market participation.

The European Single Access Point (ESAP) Regulation introduces new procedural obligations for issuers of securities in Ireland, requiring parallel submission of prospectus, transparency, and market abuse information...

When lending to an Irish company under English or US law, lenders must conduct specific searches at Irish public registries and asset registers. This article examines the essential due diligence searches...

The Central Bank of Ireland has completed its comprehensive review of delegation practices across the Irish funds sector, examining how fund management companies oversee delegated activities while maintaining regulatory compliance. Through detailed surveys and onsite inspections, the regulator assessed governance frameworks, risk management controls, and data capabilities, identifying both strengths and areas requiring immediate improvement by year-end 2026.

This July 2026 edition of Funds Focus examines critical regulatory developments affecting asset management and investment funds, including new CBI UCITS Regulations, ESMA's risk management supervision initiative, and the EU Retail Investment Strategy updates. The briefing provides fund managers with essential compliance deadlines, regulatory changes, and supervisory actions that will shape the investment funds landscape in the coming months.

The EU Retail Investment Strategy introduces sweeping reforms to the retail investor protection framework, fundamentally changing how UCITS management companies and AIFMs assess costs...

Ireland's EU Council Presidency from July to December 2026 will focus on advancing critical financial services legislation affecting the Irish funds industry. Key priorities include finalizing the Markets Integration and Supervision Package, negotiating SFDR 2.0 reforms, and reforming the EU securitisation framework, with significant implications for fund management companies and their operational frameworks.

Ireland's upcoming EU Council Presidency from July to December 2026 will prioritize financial services competitiveness through advancing capital markets integration, the Savings and Investments Union, and regulatory simplification. The six-month term arrives amid geopolitical uncertainty and sustained debate about Europe's international competitiveness, positioning Ireland to shape the pace of critical legislative files including the digital euro, securitisation reform, and cross-border market supervision.

The mood across the conference was noticeably positive. While market participants continue to navigate geopolitical uncertainty, evolving regulation and a higher interest rate environment...