Legal, Regulatory And Tax Developments Affecting Your Business

The European Union Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism has finalised three sets of Regulatory Technical Standards...

The EU's third-country branch regime under CRD VI fundamentally changes how non-EU banks can serve European clients, requiring most institutions to establish authorized branches or subsidiaries by January 2027. With national transposition underway and a critical grandfathering deadline already passed, affected institutions must urgently assess their EU activities, evaluate available exemptions, and determine whether their current operating models remain viable under the harmonized framework.

Luxembourg's CSSF imposed a €56,000 fine on Stonehage Fleming Luxembourg S.A. for multiple compliance failures, including significant delays in processing sanctions screening alerts and implementing changes to screening lists. At the time of inspection, hundreds of alerts had been treated with substantial delays and 42 alerts remained completely unnoticed by the financial services provider.

On 23 September 2022, ESMA released an updated version of its Guidelines on certain aspects of the suitability requirements as provided for under Directive 2014/65 on Markets...

Two years on from the entry into force of Directive (EU) 2024/927, commonly referred to as AIFMD II, the 16 April 2026 transposition deadline has passed, and the state of play across the EU is best described as uneven, with compliance posture increasingly dependent on where an AIFM is authorised. However, Luxembourg, which hosts the largest shares of EU AIFs within the Union, transposed the Directive without material gold-plating.

The formal process of implementation of Directive (EU) 2024/1619 amending Directive 2013/36/EU ("CRD VI") began on 6 October 2025 with the publication of the bill of law n°8627 ("Bill") and its submission to Parliament.

The Luxembourg law of March 3, 2026 transposed the AIFMD II Directive into national law, introducing significant changes to the regulatory framework governing alternative investment funds. This article examines the practical implications for financing transactions involving Luxembourg AIFs, analyzing how the new rules on loan origination, leverage caps, concentration limits, and enhanced disclosure requirements affect both lenders and borrowers in structured finance arrangements.

Reverse solicitation remains one of the most scrutinised concepts in fund distribution, offering a legitimate route for investment when approached entirely on the investor's initiative. Yet the distinction between genuine unsolicited interest and marketing activity carries significant regulatory consequences, requiring AIFMs to navigate narrow fact-specific exceptions rather than treating it as a designed distribution model.

Luxembourg's partnership limited by shares (SCA) offers private fund managers a compelling corporate alternative to the special limited partnership structure, particularly for EU family offices and high-net-worth individuals. When combined with the RAIF regime, this vehicle achieves tax neutrality while maintaining the corporate governance framework that certain investors prefer. The SCA-RAIF structure addresses key legal and tax considerations while providing flexibility for secondary strategies, fund-of-f

On 29 August 2024, Luxembourg's CSSF issued Circular 24/860, clarifying governance, risk management, and audit committee requirements for credit institutions, updating key provisions of Circular 12/552.

The Luxembourg Accounting Standards Board (Commission des Normes Comptables - CNC) issued Q&A CNC 25/036 today, which replaces Opinion CNC 09/002.

In a ruling handed down on 26 February 2025, the Court of Appeal in chambers declared inadmissible the criminal proceedings brought against a financial institution on the grounds...

A new law significantly eases the work and residence conditions for highly qualified workers who are third-country nationals.

On 9 September 2022, the Council of the European Union adopted Decision (EU) No 2022/1500 suspending the application of all provisions of the agreement between the...

The CJEU confirmed the lawfulness of the liability of online platforms to collect VAT on total amounts due on electronic services in the recent Fenix case (C-695/20, 28 February 2023).

In the Brasserie Nationale and Munhowen judgment of 2 July 2025,(1) the General Court of the EU confirms that mergers below EU thresholds...

Money laundering now applies to all predicate offences. This then raises the question: what are the implications of this change to Luxembourg's Criminal Code?

On 23 October 2025, the Council of the EU adopted its nineteenth package of restrictive measures against Russia, to further target Russia's energy sector and military-industrial complex, while strengthening the EU's efforts to prevent the circumvention of sanctions.

On 16 April 2024, the Commissariat aux Assurances (CAA) published Information Note 24/4 (24/4 Note) to inform market actors about the main regulatory instruments...

Council Regulation (EU) No 2022/1903 of 6 October 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 2022/263 concerning restrictive measures in response to the recognition of the ...