News

As European banks enter 2026 in an environment characterised by persistent economic uncertainty, trade tensions and geopolitical risks, how resilient are their credit risk management practices and provisions for expected credit losses (ECLs)? The 2025 annual results show that banks generally do not yet observe a broad deterioration in credit quality. On the contrary, credit risk indicators such as coverage ratios and additional management overlays continue, on average, to decline, while credit exposures are increasing. At the same time, banks remain vigilant regarding risks arising from global economic developments, including US trade tariffs, geopolitical tensions and sector-specific vulnerabilities.

The Minister of Social Affairs and Employment has submitted the proposed Self-Employed Persons’ Disability Insurance Act (Wet basisverzekering arbeidsongeschiktheid zelfstandigen, hereafter: BAZ Act) to the House of Representatives. The proposal introduces a mandatory disability insurance scheme for self-employed individuals subject to income tax (IB entrepreneurs) and aims, among other things, to reduce the gap in protection between employees and the self-employed.

Employers often deploy temporary agency workers over extended periods to ensure workforce flexibility. But how long can this continue before the worker s considered directly employed by the hiring company? In other words, how long is “temporary” really allowed to last? Recent case law shows that such flexibility is not unlimited.

In April 2026, the subdistrict court in The Hague set out a clear and consistent line: companies that structurally rely on temporary agency workers for years without a valid reason risk the creation of a permanent employment contract with the hirer.

The European Commission is advancing an ambitious tax simplification agenda aimed at reducing administrative burden, improving legal certainty and modernising the EU tax framework. Two main initiatives, the recast of the Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC) and the Tax Omnibus package are expected to be published on 24 June 2026. Although different in scope, both initiatives share a common objective: making the EU tax system simpler, more efficient and better adapted to the realities of cross-border business. For companies operating across multiple EU Member States, these developments could significantly influence future compliance and reporting obligations.

Cyber security has become a defining challenge for organizations worldwide. From daily data breaches to increasingly sophisticated, AI driven attacks and rising geopolitical tensions, the threat landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace. For many organizations, keeping up is no longer just a technical issue, but a strategic concern that reaches the boardroom.