The Minister of Economic Affairs has informed the Second Chamber about alternative forms of financing.

The Minister of Finance wants to ban commissions for complex and high-impact products from 1 January 2013.

On 21 July 2011, the Directive on Alternative Investment Funds Managers (the "AIFMD") entered into force.

The European Central Bank will start directly supervising 150 of the Eurozone’s largest banks and be closely involved in the supervision of other banks from September 2014.

The Dutch Central Bank issued two fines for banking law violations in September 2012.

National banking supervisors in the EU are entitled to information about suspicious clients of banks that are not established in their territory but do provide financial services there from another EU country.

The Financial Markets Amendment Act 2014 is expected to take effect on 1 January 2014. It introduces a general duty of care for financial services providers, but a less extensive one than originally planned.

This Act came into force on 13 June and has retroactive effect from 20 January 2012.

A Bill will enter into force on 1 July 2012 amending the current rules regarding the expertise required of day-to-day policy makers and supervisory board members at financial undertakings.

Statutory provisions introducing notification requirements for certain cash-settled instruments came into force on 1 January 2012.

The government has recently proposed changing how the Deposit Guarantee System ("DGS") in the Netherlands is financed.

The Minister of Finance has published an amendment to the bill introducing a ban on bonuses at state-aided financial institutions.

EU Commissioner Michel Barnier has set up a High-Level Expert Group to examine possible reforms to the structure of the EU's banking sector.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has advised Rabobank Nederland on the acquisition of Friesland Bank. Friesland Bank will become a 100% subsidiary of Rabobank Nederland.

The European Commission is holding a consultation on crowdfunding to explore how crowdfunding could be promoted.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has advised the Underwriters (with J.P Morgan and Morgan Stanley as joint global coordinators) on the initial public offering (IPO) of Ziggo on Euronext Amsterdam. Inclusive of fully exercised greenshoe, selling shareholders sold EUR 925 million worth of shares.

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