The Screening of Third Country Transactions Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on 31st October 2023 and is now available on the Irish statute book website. It is anticipated that the legislation will become operational in the second quarter of 2024. The legislation when operational will require that certain investments in critical Irish industries that are likely to affect Ireland’s security or public order must be reviewed by the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment (“Minister”). The legislation's monetary thresholds are relatively low. It will apply to transactions (or an accumulation of transactions in a twelve-month period) equal to or greater than €2,000,000. Third country is any non-EU/EEA country other than Switzerland. Therefore, the UK and the US fall within the definition of third country. The types of transaction to which the legislation will apply are set out in Article 4(1) (a)-(e) of the 2019 EU regulation establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union such as critical infrastructure including energy, transport, water and critical technologies including aerospace, defence, energy storage. Please refer to the EU Regulation for full details. The trigger for a transaction to fall within the scope of the legislation is a change in shares or voting rights from 25% or less to more than 25% or from 50% or less to more than 50%. The Minister can review transactions post completion in certain circumstances and can call in certain transactions even if non notifiable where there are reasonable grounds for believing that the transaction would be manifestly contrary to Irish security or public order. Why does it matter? Given that the monetary thresholds are relatively low and the Minister has power to review even post completion, the new legislation should be on the checklist for consideration in client transactions. This information is provided as resources and information only and nothing in these pages purports to provide professional advice or definitive legal interpretation(s) or opinion(s) on the applicable legislation or legal or other matters referred to in the pages. If the reader is in doubt on any matter in this complex area further legal or other advice must be obtained. While every reasonable care has been taken by the Institute in the preparation of these pages, we do not guarantee the accuracy or veracity of any resource, guidance, information or opinion, or the appropriateness, suitability or applicability of any practice or procedure contained therein. The Institute is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of the resources or information contained in these pages.    

Welcome to this edition of Technical Roundup. In recent developments, a new traffic light display, which will indicate if a charity has submitted their accounts and reports to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland on time, is being rolled out on the Register of Charities; the European Securities & Markets Authority has published an article on the evolution of the European share market structure from 2019 to 2022, following the implementation of the markets in financial instruments directive (MiFID II). Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting The Institute has issued its response to the International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) request for information on the Post-Implementation Review of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Whilst supporting the strong framework provided by the five-step framework in IFRS 15, the Institute made some recommendations and comments in its submission, including a request for further guidance in certain areas where the application of the standard is more challenging. The Institute has also issued its response to the draft amendments to the LLP SORP. Some of the updates being proposed to the SORP include. Updates for Climate-related financial disclosures Guidance relating to amounts payable to former members Guidance on sharing of group profits Guidance on automatic division of profits to members who do not provide any substantive services to the LLP An effective date of periods commencing on or after 1 January 2024 is proposed for the changes EFRAG and the UK Endorsement Board have also issued their responses to the IASB’s request for views on the Post-Implementation Review of IFRS 15. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published a report looking at how companies can improve their corporate reporting by taking a more focused, strategic approach to assessing materiality. The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) are holding a online roundtables for different interest groups at various dates in November and December entitled “Statement of Cash Flows – Is there a need for change?” In a thought provoking article, Oliver Boutellis-Taft, CEO of Accountancy Europe, discusses the methods used to categorise entities for regulatory purposes across Europe. This is largely performed using quantitative metrics such as turnover. In the article, the potential benefits of the use of more metrics which are based on impacts and risks are discussed. Accountancy Europe has issued its October 2023 Newsletter. The IFRS Foundation has issued its National Standard-setters newsletter. This discusses the recent World Standard Setters Conference which was held in London on 25th and 26th September. The IASB has issued its October 2023 update. this summarises the recent activities and decisions made during their recent meetings. The IASB has also released its October 2023 podcast. The IFRS Foundation has also released its October 2023 monthly news summary. IFRIC, the IFRS Interpretations Committee has issued its September 2023 update. This summarises the decisions reached by the Committee in its recent meetings. Assurance and Auditing The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has launched a consultation to strengthen auditor requirements to detect and report material misstatements from non-compliance with laws, ISA(UK)250A and ISA (UK)250 B, and regulations and to clarify when auditors should report such breaches, and other significant matters, to the relevant regulators. The aim is to enhance the useability and informativeness of the audit. They are consulting on strengthening both ISAs and the consultation closes on 12 January 2024. The FRC are planning a webinar and roundtables in  November for interested parties. Chartered Accountants Ireland has responded to the FRC’s consultation on proposed amendments to the Ethical Standard for Auditors. We welcome the moves to align with the IESBA standard and we are supportive of changes which add clarity and therefore make compliance easier, but we have concerns that the proposed effective date of 15 December 2024 might not allow firms sufficient time to make the necessary changes to their global systems. Sustainability Proposed ISSA 5000: the application of materiality by the entity and the assurance practitioner. As part of the IAASB's intensive outreach campaign across the globe, there were requests from a range of stakeholders to provide additional information on materiality matters to better help them navigate the recently proposed International Standard on Sustainability Assurance (ISSA) 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements. This comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions was developed to respond to these requests. The compilation addresses a variety of questions, including how the concept of materiality applies to sustainability reporting and assurance; the definition of double materiality; and how an assurance practitioner considers an organization’s “materiality process” during a sustainability assurance engagement, among other questions and answers. Following the passing of the scrutiny period for the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the 12 standards have now been adopted and integrated in the European legal framework. The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) have welcomed this significant milestone and noted its dedication to providing support for the successful implementation of the suite of standards. This includes: Their launch of a Q&A platform to encourage stakeholder dialogue The development of further standards for SMEs The ESRS did not go unchallenged through the period of scrutiny and on 18th October, a resolution calling for a new delegated act to be submitted (containing significant reductions on the level of requirements placed on companies by the CSRD and ESRS) was defeated in the European Parliament by a margin of 359 against to 261 in favour. Whilst the challenge was defeated, it is notable that the margin in favour of a revision to the CSRD was significant. Accountancy Europe together with ECIAA and ecoDa has released a publication entitled “ESG Governance: questions boards should ask to lead the sustainability transition”. This publication aims to help boards in embedding sustainability factors into company strategy and business models and to ensure proper governance of this. The Brazilian Ministry of Finance and the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) have announced that the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards will be incorporated into the Brazilian regulatory framework, setting out a roadmap to move from voluntary use starting in 2024 to mandatory use on 1 January 2026. The FRC and the British Accounting and Finance Association's (BAFA) hosted a joint event: Embedding Sustainability in Audit and Accounting Education—A forum for Professional Accountancy Bodies, Academics, and Training Providers on 1 November at Manchester University. The International Sustainability Standards Board has issued its ISSB Update, and the latest episode of the ISSB podcast. Insolvency For readers who did not secure a place on the Corporate Enforcement Authority’s (CEA) inaugural conference of 19 October 2023 ,the CEA has now made available the content of most of the papers delivered at the conference and readers can access the papers on the CEA’s website under the “Events “ button. A notable judgement has been handed down in a recent examinership case. In the case involving Mac Interiors Limited, Mr Justice Michael Quinn ruled that the court had no jurisdiction to confirm the scheme of arrangement proposed by the Examiner. Read the article on our website here. Economic crime/Anti-money laundering Readers should note that the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act received royal assent on 26 October 2023. Please click here to access the legislation and here for a press release from UK government on the legislation. It includes new enhanced powers for UK Companies House and a new much debated failure to prevent crime offence for large organisations. More detailed analysis of the legislation and its applicability to our readers will follow in future news items. The Institute’s Professional Standards Dept. (PSD) has recently issued its AML supervision report 22/23. The report outlines PSD’s risk methodology identifying various risk factors to which accountancy firms may be exposed, including but not limited to higher risk services; higher risk clients; exposure to high-risk jurisdictions; complex firm structures and poor regulatory history. It also deals with risk profile of TCSPs (ROI - med/high risk of money laundering, med/low risk of terrorist financing and UK high risk of money laundering). Emerging risks include increase in insolvencies, risks associated with bounce back loans, the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and cryptoassets. Finally, the most common findings related to breach were no or inadequate documented policies & procedures, inadequate documentation of CDD, no or inadequate CDD procedures, no ongoing CDD monitoring, no or inadequate client risk assessment/record missing, no/inadequate periodic review of compliance with AML regs, no or inadequate training, no or inadequate firm-wide risk assessment. In the latest SARs in Action magazine, a wide range of money muling issues are discussed. The National Crime Agency 's National Economic Crime Centre looks at how money muling networks may form, there is a look at how money muling is addressed within the banking sector by NatWest Group, and a discussion on educating young people on the threat of money muling by UK Finance.  The latest Financial Action Task Force (FATF) 'High-Risk Jurisdictions subject to a Call for Action' (black list ) and 'Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring' (grey list ) documents issued by the FATF on the 27 of October 2023 are now available on FATF’s website and you can access the information here. Other News The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) have published a Consultation Paper on two draft Joint Guidelines covering suitability assessment of members of the management body, and suitability of shareholders and members with qualifying holdings of issuers of asset referenced tokens (ARTs) and of crypto-asset service provider (CASPs).  A new traffic light display, which will indicate if a charity has submitted their accounts and reports to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland on time, is being rolled out on the register of charities. The Central Bank of Ireland are hosting a Financial System Conference 2023 – Achieving good outcomes in an uncertain world – which will take place on 8 November 2023 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.  This event will bring together diverse perspectives from industry leaders, consumer representatives and policymakers, from Ireland and across the EU, to discuss and debate key issues for the financial system.  UKFIU's magazine SARs in Action: Special edition on Money Mules The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) welcomes the appointment of Alan Vallance as the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ (ICAEW) Chief Executive Officer, replacing Michael Izza who is due to retire in spring 2024. ESMA has published an article on the evolution of the European share market structure from 2019 to 2022, following the implementation of the markets in financial instruments directive (MiFID II). Specific focus is given to the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, given its pivotal role in equity markets. In an interesting article issued by IFAC, Pascal Bornet discusses the opportunities that artificial intelligence and intelligent automation provide to accountants. The Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022 was signed into law by the President on 31st October 2023. The finalised text of the legislation is not yet on the Irish statute book website and it is anticipated that it will not become operational until Q2 2024. The legislation when operational will require that certain investments in critical Irish industries that may present risks to Ireland’s security or public order must be reviewed by the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment. The legislation will apply to transactions (or an accumulation of transactions in a twelve month period) equal to or greater than €2,000,000. Third country is  any non-EU/EEA country other than Switzerland. Therefore the UK and the US fall within the definition of third country. The types of transaction to which the legislation will apply are set out in Article 4(1) (a)-(e) of the 2019 EU regulation establishing a framework for the screening of foreign direct investments into the Union such as critical infrastructure including energy transport, water and critical technologies including aerospace, defence, energy storage. The trigger for a transaction to fall within the scope of the legislation is a change in shares or voting rights from 25% or less to more than 25% or from 50% or less to more than 50%. The Minister can review transactions post completion in certain circumstances and can call in certain transactions even if non notifiable where there are reasonable grounds for believing that the transaction would be manifestly contrary to Irish security or public order. Following recent changes in UK legislation, cryptoassets promotions targeting UK customers now fall under the remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). In light of this, the FCA has introduced rules designed to give people a better understanding of what they are investing in. They have also issued guidance to support crypto firms in complying with the new marketing rules. The European Commission has adopted the proposal to increase the company size thresholds set out in the Accounting Directive. This follows a consultation period in recent months which proposed a 25% increase in the size limits for turnover and balance sheet total to reflect the levels of inflation since the limits were introduced. The Institute, under the auspices of CCAB-I issued a response to this in October and agreed with the proposed increase. The amendments will not come into force until they are published in the Official Journal. Once in force, the changes would allow member states, including Ireland, to increase their company size thresholds for turnover and balance sheet total locally. The FRC has released two reports on the actuarial profession in the UK. One report highlights gender imbalance in the profession, its second report looks at the use of AI and machine learning in UK actuarial work. The CRO has published its Christmas filing deadlines and clarifies that processing before the Christmas break of submissions received after the dates below cannot be guaranteed:            FE PHRAINN ONLINE SCHEME 12 DECEMBER 2023 A1 ORDINARY ONLINE SCHEME 7 DECEMBER 2023 CHANGE OF NAME 8 DECEMBER2023 REREGISTRATIONS 8 DECEMBER 2023 COMPANY NAME RESERVATIONS 15 DECEMBER 2023 For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website.  

In its response to the International Accounting Standards Board’s (IASB) Request for information on the Post-implementation review of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the Institute’s Financial Reporting Technical Committee agreed that IFRS 15 has achieved its objectives and is working well, with some aspects challenging to apply. IFRS 15 became effective for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2018, and in June 2023 the IASB issued their request for information to form part of the post-implementation review process. The objective of a post-implementation review is to assess whether the effects of applying the new requirements on users of financial statements, preparers, auditors and regulators are those the IASB intended when it developed the requirements. Whilst supporting the strong framework provided by the five-step framework in IFRS 15, the Institute made some recommendations and comments in its submission, including; Further guidance is required to support the standard in some instances. This is particularly required in response to the fact that some entities have changed the way in which they operate since IFRS 15 was initially issued. The benefits of the standards outweigh the costs of implementing it. Further guidance is needed in relation to the identification of performance obligations of a contract in certain scenarios (eg. Software as a service contracts, distinct vs indistinct services and software updates). Further guidance is needed in relation to accounting for sales based taxes due to diversity in accounting practices being applied. Principal vs Agent considerations are one of the more challenging aspects of IFRS 15 to apply and further clarifications and guidance are needed, particularly in the area of the clarification of the concept of control. Further guidance is needed in relation to the interaction of IFRS 15 with other standards, including IFRS 3 Business Combinations IFRS 9 Financial Instruments IFRS 16 Leases IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements The Institute believes that the level of convergence achieved to date on IFRS 15 and US GAAP is important and any changes to US GAAP or IFRS 15 should be monitored in this regard.

For readers who did not secure a place on the Corporate Enforcement Authority’s (CEA) inaugural conference of 19 October 2023 ,the CEA has now made available the content of most of the papers delivered at the conference and readers can access the papers on the CEA’s website under the “Events “  button .The following is a list and some details of what is contained in the papers. “Opening Remarks” Ian Drennan CEO of Corporate Enforcement Authority The evolution of compliance in the last 25 years with there now being widespread compliance with company law. The remarks also allude to the CEA’s strategy for 2022-2025. “Searching for evidence in the digital age”  James Dwyer, SC   This material considers the extent to which searches for criminal material can encroach upon a citizen’s right to privacy and legal professional privilege. It refers to a number of recent cases including the case of People (DPP) vs Quirke where the  Supreme Court held that although the search under a warrant issued was lawful, in the absence of specific permission being sought and given to search the computers, the search of the computer was not lawful. “Privacy, privilege, and access to data” Bernard Condon, SC The slides reference the Quirke decision and the 2023 decision in Corcoran v the Commissioner of an Garda Síochána. “European Public Prosecutor’s Office” Claire O’ Regan, Office of the DPP The slides content includes background on the EPP’s office, its competence, structure, its investigations, and prosecutions. “The Evolution of Ireland’s restriction of company directors’ regime.” Aoife McPartland, CEA Director “The challenge of privacy law to corporate transparency and probity" Paul Egan SC This  paper addresses the topical issues of public access to information such as CRO documents and information versus the EU trend towards concealment of ownership information and corporate secrecy .The paper refers to further reading material on this area. It also contains many useful diagrams including comparators on access to company registers ,who has the right to inspect and take copies and RBO information for Irish private companies and group structures. The paper  also signals the presenter’s view of the shortcomings of the attempted Irish fix (Beneficial Ownership Of Corporate Entities) (Amendment) Regulations 2023) in light of the 2022 ECJ ruling  where the ECJ held invalid the provisions of the AMLDs which require information on the beneficial ownership of corporate /other legal entities to be accessible in all cases to any member of the general public. You can read further about that on his firm Mason Hayes &Curran’s website Encroachment of Privacy Law on Disclosure of Company Information.  “The new European Directive harmonising certain aspects of insolvency law, directors' duties, Simplified Liquidation Procedures, and other matters."  Professor Irene Lynch Fannon This presentation deals with the proposed INSOL directive including certain elements such as harmonisation of insolvency and rescue law in the EU, the codification of common law rules and equitable principles and enforcement with a particular focus on company directors’ duties and proposed simplified liquidation measures. The presenter in comments after the event said that these [proposals in INSOL Directive ] “…. are all interesting developments and are even more interesting when considered in the context of the Preventive Restructuring Directive 2019/1023, now implemented in Ireland in 2022 in EU (Preventive Restructuring) Regulations amending the Companies Act 2014. As regards Directors' duties in particular there is some unresolved tension between Art 19 of the latter (now s. 224A/2014 Act) and the proposed Arts. 36 and 37 of the new Directive”. Investigations under the Companies Act  Neil Steen S.C. The primary subject of the paper is stated to be the court’s power to appoint inspectors to investigate the affairs of a company, but the paper also observes that the CEA enjoys certain other powers that are in practice highly relevant to an application to the court. .The paper references a table of relevant statutes and case law, and its content includes the purpose of company law inspections and powers of inspectors . This information is provided as resources and information only and nothing in these pages purports to provide professional advice or definitive legal interpretation(s) or opinion(s) on the applicable legislation or legal or other matters referred to in the pages. If the reader is in doubt on any matter in this complex area further legal or other advice must be obtained. While every reasonable care has been taken by the Institute in the preparation of these pages, we do not guarantee the accuracy or veracity of any resource, guidance, information or opinion, or the appropriateness, suitability or applicability of any practice or procedure contained therein. The Institute is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of the resources or information contained in these pages.      

The FRC have issued a project update relating to the ongoing periodic review of FRS 102 and FRS 105. In its update, the FRC noted that they received 54 response letters to FRED 82 and they are now preparing final amendments for issue which will take into account the responses received. Earlier this year, the Institute’s Financial Reporting Technical Committee issued a response to FRED 82. The FRC have indicated that they expect to issue the final amendments to FRS 102 and FRS 105 in the first half of 2024, with an expected effective date of periods commencing on or after 1 January 2026 for the changes. This is 1 year later than the date proposed in FRED 82. The FRC are working on amendments to the standards and provided updates on the revenue recognition and lease accounting sections which respondents provided feedback on during the consultation process. They will continue to work towards a “five-step model” for all FRS 102 and 105 preparers, while seeking simplifications to ensure proportionality for micro-entities. In addition to this, they have indicated that they will consider how to ensure that the “on-balance sheet” model of lease accounting under FRS 102 will be proportionate and understandable for FRS 102 preparers of all sizes.

Welcome to this edition of Technical Roundup. In recent developments, Chartered Accountants Ireland are hosting a webinar Corporate Enforcement Authority – Insolvency on 5 October at 10am. This conversation is with Cathy Shivnan Director of Insolvency Supervision at the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) and gives insights into the CEA’s insolvency agenda; the EU Commission has issued a guidance note for EU operators on implementing enhanced due diligence to shield against Russian sanctions circumvention. Read more on these and other developments that may be of interest to members below. Financial Reporting The UK Endorsement Board (UKEB) has issued a draft comment letter for public consultation in response to the IASB’s Request for Information on its Post-implementation Review (PIR) of IFRS15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The International Accounting Standards Board has published Exposure Draft Annual Improvements to IFRS Accounting Standards—Volume 11.  The document is available to download from the Open for comment section and from the individual project pages on the work plan. The European Single Markets Authority (ESMA) has published the annual update of its Reporting Manual on the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF). This includes technical improvements and additional clarifications. The European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) have issued their August update which summarises public technical discussions held and decisions taken during the month. In order for EFRAG to provide input to the initial phases of the IASB’s research project on the Statement of Cash Flows and Related Matters, EFRAG have issued an open call for tenders to assist in identifying uses and issues with the statement of cash flows. The IFRS Foundation has issued its August 2023 monthly news summary. This includes details of recent amendments to IAS 21, details of current consultations and requests for information and other matters of interest. Insolvency Chartered Accountants Ireland are hosting a webinar Corporate Enforcement Authority – Insolvency on 5 October at 10am. This conversation is with Cathy Shivnan, Director of Insolvency Supervision, at the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) and gives insights into the CEA’s insolvency agenda. The session will include some background on Cathy’s career and her journey from Revenue to CEA along with the evolution of the CEA from the ODCE. This webinar is a free event and open to all. Earlier this week, the UK government published its response to the consultation on ‘The Future of Insolvency Regulation’, which ran between 21 December 2021 and 25 March 2022. The consultation sought views on a comprehensive package of reforms to the insolvency practitioner regulatory framework. This response includes a significant package of reforms which addresses the current weaknesses, closes a loophole in the framework, and provides opportunities for further reform. It will strengthen insolvency regulation and increase public confidence in the framework. Sustainability Accountancy Europe, in collaboration with the European Sustainable Business Federation, have issued a paper ‘5-step starting guide to a sustainable transition for SMEs’.  The paper presents 5 first steps an SME can take to begin their sustainable journey. It is vital to initiate the process, even with small steps, and gradually start preparing the business for what lies ahead. EFRAG and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) have issued a joint statement confirming that they have achieved a high level of interoperability between their respective standards in relation to impact reporting. EFRAG has published its final comment letters on the ISSB consultation on Agenda Priorities and SASB methodology. Sanctions The UK Financial Conduct Authority recently issued a publication on firms’ response to increased sanctions due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In the publication the FCA set out key findings from its assessments of sanctions systems and controls and includes examples of good practice and areas for improvement. While the publication is in respect of financial services firms, the findings in relation to good practices and areas that need improvement may be of interest in any efforts to making improvements to the approach to identifying and assessing the sanctions risks that firms are exposed to. In September 2023 the EU Commission issued a guidance note for EU operators on implementing enhanced due diligence to shield against Russian sanctions circumvention. It is to help European operators to identify, assess, and understand the possible risks of Russian sanctions circumvention. It includes circumvention red flags related to business partners and customers and .The EU Guidance note is in the same vein as the summary AML Alert  Russia sanctions – Trade sanctions circumvention  which was  produced by the Accountancy AML Supervisors’ Group (AASG) from an extract from the UK Department of Business and Trade notice NTE 2023/08: Russia sanctions – Trade sanctions circumvention published 22 May 2023. Details of this notice were brought to members attention in a news item from Professional Standards Dept. of the Institute of August 23, 2023 where they alluded to awareness of the risk and obligations in relation to sanctioned goods as an important first step for those working in the accountancy profession so that they do not become party to the trade sanctions circumvention. Other News In September 2023 the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA ) announced a review of the treatment of domestic Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) by financial services firms. The review will look at firms’ arrangements for dealing with PEPs based in the UK and will report by the end of June 2024. In the previous month of August 2023 it invited UK PEPs to share their experiences, including any problems they or their family members have encountered with the PEPs regime. The FCA has previously (in 2017 ) published guidance for how financial services firms should treat customers who are politically exposed persons when meeting their anti-money laundering obligations. The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has welcomed the appointment of Peter Wyman CBE as the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) first externally appointed Chair of the Board to modernise and strengthen the ICAEW’s governance and leadership. The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland is writing to over 250 charitable organisations, in preparation for work to begin on phasing out what is known as the “combined list”.  A list of all organisations the Commission is aware of, which may be charities but have not been registered yet, the combined list has been an integral part of the regulator’s work to manage registration of all charities in Northern Ireland. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the EU’s financial markets regulator and supervisor, has published the annual update of its Reporting Manual on the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF). The Pensions Authority has published its 2022 Annual Report and accompanying statement from the Pensions Regulator. The Charities Regulator is holding a free webinar on Wednesday 27 September 2023 at 1pm to assist registered charities in preparing their annual reports. If you want to attend this you may register here. For further technical information and updates please visit the Technical Hub on the Institute website.