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This podcast covers the latest EU regulatory developments in sanctions, pump and dump schemes, position limits, market abuse, and strategic support for the EU eastern border regions. Highlights include ESMA's supervisory measures, MiCA's impact on crypto-asset regulation, ACPR's guidance on payment and crypto services, and targeted EU financial assistance to eastern border areas.
Regulatory news, updates, and insights for countries in the EU presented by the Carver Agents team
Welcome to Carver's European Union Regulatory Updates for February 23, 2026.
The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive strategy to support the EU's eastern regions bordering Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. This initiative focuses on five priority areas: security, economic growth, leveraging local strengths, improving connectivity, and providing support to people affected by ongoing challenges. Targeted financial assistance will be deployed to foster resilience and development in these strategically important areas.
In financial market news, the European Securities and Markets Authority, or ESMA, has issued a public notice regarding supervisory measures and fines imposed on REGIS-TR. The authority found seven infringements related to inadequate policies, organizational structure, operational risk management, and compliance failures under the European Market Infrastructure Regulation and the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation. These findings underscore the importance of robust governance and risk controls in trade repositories.
Turning to regulatory frameworks, the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, known as MiCA, has now been in effect for one year. Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani, president of the French Financial Markets Authority, or AMF, highlighted in a recent fintech and regulation conference that MiCA has established the first comprehensive European regulatory framework for crypto-assets. It raises governance, compliance, and operational resilience standards for crypto-asset service providers, contributing to market integrity and investor protection.
On the topic of payment services and crypto-assets, the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority, or ACPR, has clarified expectations for payment institutions offering services that simultaneously fall under payment services and crypto-asset categories. These services are classified as payment services requiring authorization under the revised Payment Services Directive, PSD2. A no-action letter has been issued to provide a transition period until March 2, 2026, allowing affected providers to comply with the new requirements.
In the area of price indication regulations, Germany is progressing with a draft law to amend price indication rules. The proposed legislation empowers price authorities to sanction violations of the European Union’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation and national price indication rules. It aims to harmonize sanctioning procedures and raise penalties to ensure compliance and protect consumers.
France has also updated its electronic invoicing regulations, increasing fines for failure to issue electronic invoices, omission to use approved platforms, and non-transmission of transaction and payment data. The new rules introduce graduated penalties and repeated fines every three months for ongoing non-compliance, reinforcing the country’s commitment to digital tax administration.
In market surveillance, the AMF has ordered the suspension of RAPID NUTRITION shares trading from February 19 to March 13, 2026, or until further notice. This action follows suspicion of market manipulation, specifically indicators of a pump and dump scheme. The AMF has called on investors to exercise caution during this period.
Position limits have been introduced on the salmon derivative contract listed on Euronext Paris Matif. Effective February 12, 2026, spot month contracts are capped at 5,000 lots, while all other months have a limit of 11,500 lots. This measure aims to prevent market abuse and ensure orderly trading conditions.
In healthcare product safety, Medtronic has issued an urgent field safety notice for its MiniMed Paradigm, MiniMed 600 series, and MiniMed 700 insulin pumps. Updated user guides now include warnings about pump placement relative to infusion sites to prevent insulin over- or under-delivery. Similarly, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics has released a safety notice for specific lots of IMMULITE 2000 EPO and IMMULITE EPO Control Module products, requiring adjusted handling and storage procedures to maintain test accuracy.
Additionally, Norgine Limited has recalled one batch of MOVICOL Ease Citrus Powder due to safety concerns. Distributors and retailers are instructed to stop supply immediately and quarantine affected stock to protect patient safety.
Cybersecurity remains a critical focus, with CERT-FR reporting multiple critical and high-severity vulnerabilities affecting major software products from Microsoft, Apple, Fortinet, SAP, and others. Some vulnerabilities are actively exploited in the wild, emphasizing the need for rapid patching and vigilance. Furthermore, Tenable Security Center versions prior to 6.8.0 have disclosed vulnerabilities allowing privilege escalation, remote denial of service, and security policy bypass, posing significant risks to affected organizations.
In legal developments, the Information Commissioner’s Office, or ICO, secured a Court of Appeal ruling in the DSG Retail case. The court affirmed that organizations must implement appropriate security measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, regardless of whether individuals can be directly identified from the data. This ruling reinforces data protection obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation.
The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision has published a detailed analysis of synthetic risk transfer transactions. The report examines the growth, structure, and risks associated with these transactions, highlighting the need for continued supervisory monitoring to safeguard financial stability.
Turning to environmental enforcement, authorities have imposed a £1.4 million compensation order on individuals involved in illegal waste dumping at multiple sites in Belgravia. This action reflects intensified efforts to combat waste crime and protect the environment.
In France, the government has scheduled an early meeting of the natural disaster commission on February 24 to address recent storms and flooding. The commission aims to expedite the recognition of natural disaster status and accelerate insurance claims processing. This proactive approach seeks to provide timely support to affected communities.
Finally, the French customs authority presented its 2025 annual report, highlighting increased seizures of narcotics and contraband. The report also announced the introduction of a small parcel tax effective March 1, 2026, and detailed enhanced cooperation and technological investments to combat organized crime.
That concludes today's regulatory updates. Thank you for listening to Carver's updates. For more details, visit us at carveragents.ai.