LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) – Global regulators may intervene
and iron out differences in how the United States and European
Union have cracked down on lax underwriting of securitised debt,
as the market shows little sign of a real revival to help
fragile banks.

The International Organisation of Securities Commissions
(IOSCO) said in a report for public consultation on Thursday
that securitization was a valuable funding technique and an
efficient means of diversifying risk.

LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) – The ability to repay a home loan
will be more closely scrutinised under the European Union’s
first set of rules on mortgages that were backed by the bloc’s
parliament on Thursday.

The rules aim to curb irresponsible lending in the EU’s 6.4
trillion euro mortgage market which contributed to property
bubbles in Spain, Britain and Ireland and helped drag down
banks, requiring costly taxpayer bailouts.

BRUSSELS, June 6 (Reuters) – Global regulators agreed on
minimum rules on Wednesday to shed light on the $700 trillion
derivatives market, after being hamstrung by a dearth of
information in the credit crunch, and to deter firms from moving
trades to less regulated countries.

Leaders of the world’s top 20 economies (G20) agreed three
years ago that from the end of 2012 derivatives trades should be
recorded and centrally cleared and executed on electronic
platforms.

LONDON, June 1 (Reuters) – Britain has filed a lawsuit
against the European Union in a last-ditch bid to thwart giving
new European financial regulators the power to ban short-selling
shares against London’s will.

It is the second time in a year that Britain’s
Conservative-led government has filed legal papers against the
EU – an extreme measure which experts say reflects growing alarm
amongst British lawmakers about the UK’s declining say in EU
matters and loss of regulatory sovereignty.

LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) – Top insurers face curbs within
five years on risky “non-traditional” activities, global
regulators said on Thursday as they seek to avoid a repeat of
AIG’s huge taxpayer bailout in the financial crisis.

Leaders of the world’s top 20 economies (G20) have asked the
industry’s regulators to design tighter supervision for big
insurers that pose risks to the wider financial system.

By Huw Jones

(Reuters) – European Union lawmakers approved a draft law on Thursday making it easier to channel funds into start-up companies from next year, inserting a safeguard the venture capital industry fears will make the regime too expensive.

The European Parliament’s economic affairs committee voted in favor of the law which creates the first pan-EU “passport” for venture capital (VC) funds, allowing them to market themselves to potential investors across the 27-country bloc.

May 31 (Reuters) – European Union lawmakers approved a draft
law on Thursday making it easier to channel funds into start-up
companies from next year, inserting a safeguard the venture
capital industry fears will make the regime too expensive.

The European Parliament’s economic affairs committee voted
in favour of the law which creates the first pan-EU “passport”
for venture capital (VC) funds, allowing them to market
themselves to potential investors across the 27-country bloc.

BRUSSELS/LONDON (Reuters) – European Union countries could be obliged to bail out one another’s struggling banks, according to a draft EU law that marks a big step towards greater EU financial integration likely to upset some members, particularly Germany.

Spain’s banking troubles and the risk that a bank run in a country such as Greece could spread have given new impetus to delayed EU proposals for a law to deal with failing banks.

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s market watchdog has chalked up its first criminal convictions for cross-border insider dealing after a transatlantic effort to bring a husband and wife team to court.

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) said James and Miranda Sanders, along with colleague James Swallow, had admitted insider dealing by profiting from information about U.S. mergers and acquisitions obtained from a family connection in the United States.

LONDON, May 28 (Reuters) – Britain’s banks must post
information in branches and on websites by September spelling
out clearly who will reimburse customer deposits if the lender
goes bust, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) said on
Monday.

The regulator said the move is part of a long-term
initiative to improve battered public confidence in banks.