This speech by Gerry Cross, Director of Capital Markets and Funds at the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), outlines key supervisory priorities including securing customers' interests via the revised Consumer Protection Code, Individual Accountability Framework (IAF) implementation, regulatory simplification, resilience, technology leverage, and an evolving outcomes-focused supervision approach. It matters because it signals CBI's expectations for compliance professionals to drive these outcomes in firms, emphasizing proportionality and ongoing engagement amid regulatory evolution. Compliance teams must integrate these themes to align with CBI's shift toward less process-driven, more effective oversight.
#
What Changed
Revised Consumer Protection Code: Introduces new Standards for Business, building on the Code reviewed with industry input; focuses on delivering good outcomes for consumers and the economy.
Individual Accountability Framework (IAF): Implemented 18 months prior (circa mid-2024); enhances clarity on responsibilities, supports governance, and aligns with outcomes-focused regulation rather than enforcement-heavy approaches.
Supervisory Approach Evolution: Shifting in 2025-2026 to risk-based, outcom
What You Need To Do
- Implement Revised Consumer Protection Code
- Adopt Outcomes-Focused Practices
- Engage with CBI
- Leverage Technology
Key Dates
24 March 2026 - Revised Consumer Protection Code comes into force; firms must ensure full readiness and ongoing embedding of provisions, including new Standards for Business. DEADLINE
January 2026 speech).
Compliance Impact
Urgency: Medium. This speech reinforces imminent obligations like the 24 March 2026 Consumer Protection Code effective date (less than 2 months from speech/publication), requiring immediate readiness checks, but lacks new rules or critical enforcement threats. It matters for long-term alignment with