Central Bank Amends Its AIF Rulebook

The European Commission's Market Integration and Supervision Package represents the most substantial EU capital markets reform since MiFID II, proposing to transfer supervisory powers to ESMA and harmonise fragmented regulatory frameworks across trading, post-trading and asset management.

The EU Retail Investment Strategy is a legislative package which introduces significant changes to the UCITS Directive and AIFMD, as well as MiFID II, the Insurance Distribution Directive and the Solvency II Directive via an omnibus directive (Omnibus Directive).

Ireland is home to a wide variety of financial services providers. To support both providers and their customers, there is an array of financial services legislation...

On 18 September 2026, the European Banking Authority (the EBA) published its final report on the new “Guidelines on the sound management of third-party risk regarding non-ICT services (EBA/GL/2026/09)” (the 2026 Guidelines).

The European Banking Authority has published final Guidelines on the sound management of third-party risk regarding non-ICT services, replacing the 2019 Outsourcing Guidelines and introducing a broader regulatory framework. Financial entities will need to navigate expanded scope requirements, enhanced governance standards, and alignment with DORA while managing compliance timelines and contractual obligations.

Ireland offers a sophisticated regulatory framework for Alternative Investment Funds, with structures ranging from ICAVs and Investment Limited Partnerships to Unit Trusts and Common Contractual Funds. The jurisdiction provides flexible options for both retail and institutional investors, with distinct regulatory pathways for RIAIFs, QIAIFs, and ELTIFs, each designed to accommodate different investment strategies and liquidity profiles while maintaining robust investor protections.

The European Commission's proposed overhaul of the SFDR regime is entering crucial trialogue negotiations, with the Irish Presidency aiming to reach agreement by year-end. While the Council and Parliament have aligned on key issues like professional investor opt-outs, significant divergences remain on exclusion criteria for Transition funds, PAI reporting requirements, and engagement strategy disclosures that will shape the future of sustainable finance regulation.

On 30 October 2025, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) announced its decision to move to the next phase of the digital euro project.

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The Listing Act Directive introduces significant reforms to the MiFID II research regime, allowing investment firms greater flexibility in paying for research and execution services. This briefing examines how the removal of market capitalisation thresholds restores bundling as a commercial option and establishes a new EU framework for issuer-sponsored research.

The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority has introduced sweeping changes to anti-money laundering audit requirements for investment funds, mandating independent audits of entire compliance programmes by September 2026. This marks a fundamental departure from previous practice where internal AML officers could conduct their own testing, raising critical questions about implementation timelines, qualified auditor availability, and compliance costs for funds operating in the jurisdiction.

The EU Retail Investment Strategy is a legislative package which introduces significant changes to the UCITS Directive and AIFMD, as well as MiFID II, the Insurance Distribution Directive and the Solvency II Directive via an omnibus directive (Omnibus Directive).

The European Union has reached a political agreement to amend the AI Act, introducing targeted changes aimed at simplifying compliance requirements for businesses while maintaining protective standards.

Ireland has introduced significant amendments to its beneficial ownership registers in 2026, implementing the Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) framework. These reforms fundamentally restructure access rights to the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership of Trusts and Corporate Entities, moving away from unrestricted public access toward a tiered system that balances transparency with privacy rights while maintaining accessibility for legitimate anti-money laundering purposes.

The European Commission's proposed overhaul of the SFDR regime is entering crucial trialogue negotiations, with the Irish Presidency aiming to reach agreement by year-end. While the Council and Parliament have aligned on key issues like professional investor opt-outs, significant divergences remain on exclusion criteria for Transition funds, PAI reporting requirements, and engagement strategy disclosures that will shape the future of sustainable finance regulation.

The Listing Act Directive introduces significant reforms to the MiFID II research regime, allowing investment firms greater flexibility in paying for research and execution services. This briefing examines how the removal of market capitalisation thresholds restores bundling as a commercial option and establishes a new EU framework for issuer-sponsored research.

As widely anticipated on 10 September 2019, mainland China's foreign exchange regulator, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, confirmed that existing restrictions on both QFII and RQFII schemes have been abolished.

The Department of Justice, Equality and Defence (the "Department") has recently introduced two new immigration initiatives aimed at facilitating non-EEA migrant entrepreneurs and investors who, in return for permission to reside in the State, are prepared to invest in Ireland.

Following President Trump's recent confirmation that U.S economic sanctions on Iran will be reinstated, Muireann Reedy looks at the penalties ...

On 23 October 2018, the European Securities and Markets Authority ('ESMA") adopted a Decision under Article 40 of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 ('MiFIR") to restrict the marketing, distribution or sale