Compliance & Ethics

The European Commission is facing scrutiny from the European Ombudsman over its failure to follow its own Better Regulation Guidelines when preparing legislative changes to corporate sustainability reporting and due diligence rules. A formal inquiry led by Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho has revealed that the Commission bypassed critical procedural steps (namely, a public consultation, an impact assessment, and a climate consistency review) without providing adequate justification.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Barclays Bank UK and Barclays Bank a combined £42 million for separate and serious failures in their financial crime risk management, marking the latest in a series of enforcement actions against the bank over weak anti-money laundering (AML) controls.

Delta Air Lines is facing a multimillion-dollar bill after allegedly crossing the line on pandemic relief rules and keeping quiet about it for years. The Atlanta-based airline has agreed to pay $8.1 million to settle claims that it violated the False Claims Act by awarding excessive compensation to top employees in breach of its agreement under the federal Payroll Support Program (PSP).

A Washington-based defense contractor accused of inflating prices on shelters sold to the U.S. military has agreed to pay $3.3 million to settle allegations that it rigged bids and manipulated a federal procurement process.

A Maryland-based IT contractor has agreed to pay at least $14.75 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by overcharging federal agencies and misrepresenting its qualifications under a government-wide procurement program, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.

We are entering a new chapter in the evolution of Governance, Risk, and Compliance. This is a chapter not just marked by smarter systems or slicker dashboards, but by a fundamental shift in how organizations align purpose, navigate uncertainty, and embed integrity across the enterprise. This is GRC Orchestration in full force: not a rebranding or a bolt-on, but a metamorphosis. GRC is becoming sentient, not in the sci-fi sense, but in the sense that it now continuously learns, adapts, and acts in context.

After more than two decades of steady service, the EU’s core antitrust enforcement framework is due for a refresh, and this time, the European Commission isn’t going it alone. It wants feedback from businesses, legal experts, competition authorities, and anyone else who has a stake in how the EU tackles anti-competitive behavior in an increasingly digital economy.