Compliance & Ethics

SEC Commissioner Mark Uyeda's statement accompanies a Commission proposal to rescind Rule 14a-8, which would end the federal framework for including shareholder proposals in proxy statements and leave that question to state law, companies, and shareholders. The Commission also proposes amending Rule 14a-4 to expand discretionary voting authority and modernizing proxy solicitation rules. Compliance teams should monitor the proposals closely, because they could change shareholder engagement, proxy preparation, and governance risk management.

The FCA has published a guidance page explaining how the Treasury's new cryptoasset regulated activities fit within FSMA and the FCA Handbook. Final rules and guidance were published on 30 June 2026 and will apply to firms authorized under FSMA on or after 25 October 2027. For many cryptoasset firms this will be their first time under FSMA authorization, so compliance teams need to assess perimeter scope and begin preparing now.

SEC Division of Examinations Director Keith Cassidy outlined efforts to make exams more accessible and integrated, including a new Examination Process Handbook to be published before the new fiscal year. The speech also sets out the Division's expectations for registrant conduct during exams. Compliance teams should use it to refine exam readiness and engagement practices.

ASIC's Form 5214 requires the corporate director of a corporate collective investment vehicle (CCIV) to notify ASIC within 7 days of a change of compliance plan auditor. The change may result from resignation, removal, death, or ineligibility. Compliance teams need to coordinate prior ASIC consent, public disclosure, and timely lodgement, because a resignation or removal does not take effect until the disclosure requirements are met.

ASIC Form 526 is the notification external administrators must lodge after applying to a court for leave under s161A(3) of the Corporations Act 2001 to omit a company's former name from documents. The form is dated 1 March 2017 and carries no lodgement fee, but it must be filed as soon as practicable after the application is made. Compliance teams handling insolvency, restructuring, or counterparty matters should understand the process and its effect on document naming.

Effective July 23, 2026, the AFM has discontinued the mandatory three-yearly reliability reassessment of (co-)policymakers at financial undertakings in Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba. The obligation to report relevant changes or new facts affecting reliability without delay remains fully in force. Compliance teams should shift from calendar-driven reassessment preparation to event-driven monitoring and escalation.

ASIC has published Form 5113 (version dated December 12, 2024) for compliance plan auditors seeking consent to resign from a registered scheme under section 601HH(2) of the Corporations Act 2001. The form is optional, but it consolidates the declarations, supporting documents, and timing expectations ASIC applies under Regulatory Guide 26. Responsible entities and auditors should plan any auditor transition well ahead, because ASIC consent is not automatic and cannot be back-dated.