The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published consultation paper CP25/7 regarding regulatory fees and levies for the year 2025-2026. It is proposing to increase minimum and flat rate fees, as well as application fees, by 2.5% in line with the increase in ongoing regulatory activities with the FCA's annual funding requirement to deliver its programme of work for 2025/2026 set at £783.5m. The consultation aims to gather feedback on proposed rules to raise fees and levies to fund the FCA and the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), as well as to collect certain levies on behalf of government departments. Additionally, the FCA proposes amendments to the FEES manual to align with the Money Laundering Regulations and seeks industry views on potential changes to the draft rates modelling approach. Responses are sought by 13 May 2025. The FCA plans to publish a policy statement in early July 2025, subject to Board approval.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a consultation paper CP25/8, which proposes the decommissioning of certain regular reporting requirements and the removal of related sections from the FCA Handbook (SUP 16) to streamline data collection, ensuring only necessary information is collected for effective supervision, and improving regulatory reporting. Three returns identified for decommissioning so far are Form G, FSA039, and Section F RMAR, as the FCA mentions they no longer serve a critical supervisory function. Responses are sought by 14 May 2025. Future consultations on decommissioning additional regular returns are anticipated as part of its ongoing process, in collaboration with the Bank of England, to address the burden of regulatory reporting.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued a consultation paper CP25/9, which proposes further changes to support the new regime for consumer composite investments (CCIs), including changes to cost information and rules for the transitional period. Responses are sought by 28 May 2025, with a policy statement and final rules expected in late 2025.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has published a consultation paper CP3/25 on proposed conditions an investment exchange must meet to be a 'recognised exchange' under Article 4(1)(72)(c) of the assimilated Capital Requirements Regulation No 575/2013 (UK CRR). The proposals are relevant to firms using or accepting assets traded on non-UK exchanges for credit risk mitigation, liquidity risk, and market and counterparty credit risk purposes. The PRA also proposes to restate the list of 'main indices' in the PRA Rulebook without policy changes, currently found in Commission Implementing Regulation 2016/1646. The new rules are proposed to take effect on 1 July 2026, with responses sought by 18 June 2025.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has published a consultation paper, CP7/25, proposing the introduction of a new framework called the matching adjustment investment accelerator (MAIA) within the Solvency II framework to expedite capital-efficient investments by UK insurance firms. This initiative will remove the requirement to obtain prior approval from the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) before a firm can claim matching adjustment (MA) benefit on certain assets, thereby making it easier for insurers to take advantage of investment opportunities more quickly. The framework is designed to promote growth in the UK insurance sector and the broader economy by removing barriers to rapid investment. The proposal includes changes to the PRA Rulebook and supervisory statements, with responses sought by 4 June 2025. Implementation is expected in Q4 2025, with some reporting changes commencing from 31 December 2026.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has published consultation paper CP8/25 regarding proposed fees and levies rates for the 2025/2026 financial year, which would amend the Fees Part of the PRA Rulebook (Appendix). It outlines the proposed changes to the PRA's fee structure, including the annual funding requirement (AFR) and total funding requirement (TFR), which are set to decrease from the previous year. The CP8/25 also discusses the introduction of a cost allocation for the Future Banking Data project, changes to various fees, and the allocation of surplus funds from the previous year. Responses are sought by 9 May 2025.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has published consultation paper CP9/25, which sets out proposals to amend the PRA Rulebook to reflect the planned revocation of the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive Organisational Regulation (MiFID Org Reg) under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (FSMA 2023). The PRA proposes to restate the MiFID Org Reg within the PRA Rulebook without material changes. This approach is intended to ensure that the rules continue to have the same effect while allowing them to be updated in response to market trends and risks. CP9/25proposals to restate the MiFID Org Reg include general organisational requirements, responsibilities of senior management, outsourcing, record keeping, compliance, internal audit, and risk management. The PRA also proposes to update technical standards and make consequential amendments to the Notifications Part of the Rulebook. Responses are sought by 23 June 2025.Following the consultation, the new rules are expected to be implemented in the second half of 2025.

The Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Network, in coordination with the European Commission, has notified the online marketplace and e-retailer SHEIN of several practices on its platform that contravene EU consumer protection laws. The CPC Network, led by the national authorities of Belgium, France, Ireland and The Netherlands, has directed SHEIN to rectify issues including fake discounts, pressure selling, misleading or incomplete consumer information, deceptive product labelling, misleading sustainability claims and hidden contact details. In addition, the CPC Network has requested further information from SHEIN to assess its conformity with obligations regarding the transparency of product rankings, reviews and ratings, as well as the distribution of contractual responsibilities between SHEIN and third-party sellers.

The consumer price index (CPI) measures the prices of a fixed basket of goods and services bought by a typical consumer, used as one measurement of retail price inflation.

The Bank for International Settlements’ Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) has published a report on service level agreements for cross-border payment arrangements. It includes high-level recommendations, key features and guiding questions to inform parties involved in such arrangements.

The Bank for International Settlements’ Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) has published the results of a survey on cross-border payments, which finds that, despite the promising number of initiatives planned to enhance such payments, there are potential areas for further work. The report says projects to enhance cross-border payments cannot be seen in isolation and should complement domestic projects, given that the first and last miles of such payments are typically processed in a domestic payment system.

The Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) have launched a consultation on proposed amendments to guidance relating to central counterparties (CCPs) and public quantitative disclosure standards. The consultation closes on 30 June 2026.