Compliance & Ethics

A promise of a full refund has cost Polish supermarket chain Biedronka nearly $21.5 million (PLN 84 million) after a court upheld findings that the retailer deliberately misled customers about the terms of its promotional offers. Poland's Court of Competition and Consumer Protection agreed with the country's competition and consumer protection authority, UOKiK, that Biedronka's “Special Wednesday” and “Valentine's Wednesday” campaigns violated consumer protection law. The promotions advertised a “100% refund in the form of a voucher,” without adequately explaining that customers would have to meet additional conditions to use the vouchers.

ASIC Form 296 is the prescribed notice for reporting that a person is disqualified from managing corporations because of bankruptcy or a personal insolvency agreement under sections 206B(3) and (4) of the Corporations Act 2001. The form must be lodged as soon as possible, with no lodgement fee. Compliance teams should confirm that their escalation and lodgement processes for officer insolvency events are in place and working. The document is a form and guide, not a new rule, and the form dates from 2011 while the guide dates from 2015, despite the 2026 publication date.

ASIC's Form 408 is the notice that registered foreign companies must lodge when they open, move, or discontinue a share register in Australia under section 601CM of the Corporations Act 2001. The form carries a 14-day lodgement period and late fees, so compliance teams at affected entities need controls to meet the deadline. The document appears to be an existing form and guide (dated 2011 and 2016), not a new regulatory change.

ASIC's Form 205 is the mandatory notification a company must lodge after passing certain resolutions, including name changes, constitution amendments, company type changes, and winding up decisions. The document is a form and guide dated 1 March 2017, not a new rule, so no substantive change is being introduced. Compliance and company secretarial teams should confirm their lodgement processes, signatory authority, and fee and late-fee controls are sound.

Christos Gortsos, a member or alternate member of the Board of Appeal of the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs), has filed a declaration of commitment and interests under Article 59(6) of the ESA founding Regulations. The declaration affirms independence, public-interest decision-making, and the absence of interests that could prejudice impartiality. It is routine governance disclosure rather than a new obligation, but it supports the integrity of the appeals process available to supervised firms.

ASIC's Form 207Z requires a company director or secretary to certify that a written contract for a non-cash share issue has been duly stamped under applicable state and territory stamp duty laws. The form must be lodged with a Form 484 within 28 days. Compliance teams should confirm that corporate secretarial processes capture this requirement, because late lodgment can trigger fees and a false certification creates liability exposure.

ASIC Form 489 is the mechanism registered foreign companies and registered Australian bodies must use to notify changes to their registered office, office hours, or registered office in the place of origin. Lodgement periods are short (7 days for Australian changes, 1 month for overseas changes), and late fees apply, so compliance teams need clear internal triggers and ownership for these notifications. The document is a form and guide dated 2013/2014, not a new rule, although it is listed with a 2026 date.