European Union: Corporate Governance

The European Commission has proposed replacing the EU's three core procurement directives with a single, directly applicable Regulation that would fundamentally reshape how companies compete for public contracts across Member States. The reform introduces mandatory quality criteria thresholds, embeds ESG considerations as evaluation factors, and establishes new security and European-preference provisions that could restrict participation based on ownership, supply chain exposure, and strategic dependencies.

The now-withdrawn proposal to sell 20% of the World Cup’s commercial rights to private investors has reopened a structural question: can a single body be both the governing body and the organizer of the competition?

Malta's evolving single-family office model offers internationally mobile families a sophisticated framework combining trusts, private trust companies, holding structures and Notified Professional Investor Funds. How can this coordinated legal and regulatory architecture support governance, fiduciary oversight, succession planning and the institutionalisation of family wealth spanning multiple jurisdictions?

The Central Bank of Ireland has completed its review of delegation practices across fund management companies, examining how the sector's dramatic growth to €5.6 trillion in assets has impacted oversight and governance frameworks. With 9,000 authorized funds now supported by 121 FMCs, the regulator has identified both effective practices and areas requiring enhancement across five critical operational domains. FMCs must now benchmark their policies against these supervisory expectations and implement

The dissolution of a company following its removal from the Register of Companies is often regarded as the final chapter in its corporate existence, yet the legal position is considerably more nuanced.

The Malta Financial Services Authority and the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit are introducing a Harmonised Regulatory Reporting Framework to eliminate overlapping data requests and reduce operational burdens for financial services companies. The new framework will standardise domestic regulatory returns and create a unified ecosystem to minimise data errors, with mandatory implementation set for January 2027.

The Central Bank of Ireland has commissioned an independent review of its enforcement activities, led by former Revenue Commissioners Chair Josephine Feehily, following judicial criticism of its processes and significant structural changes in the financial system. The review will examine the effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency of enforcement operations, with recommendations due by January 2027 that could reshape regulatory practice for years to come.

The European Commission has adopted two delegated acts as part of the CSRD simplification under the Omnibus I package...

The Central Bank of Ireland has published its final guidance on prohibition notices under the Fitness and Probity Regime, introducing significant clarifications on decision-making processes, publication procedures, and enforcement mechanisms. Following public consultation and stakeholder feedback, the updated framework addresses procedural fairness concerns while maintaining the regulator's protective powers over controlled functions in financial services firms.