Briefs: ME acquisition approved, regulatory problems not slowing EML down 22 June 2021 6:16AM Banking Day staff Briefs, M&A, Treasury, Bank of Queensland, Members Equity Bank, Finance regulation, Payments system & regulation The Treasurer has cleared the only condition precedent to Bank of Queensland’s acquisition of ME Bank by approving the $1.3 billion deal. BOQ announced yesterday that Financial Sector (Shareholdings) (Members Equity Bank Ltd) Instrument 2021 is expected to be gazetted and take effect in coming days. The bank said that it expects completion to occur on July 1. EML Payments is not letting its regulatory problems with the Central Bank of Ireland slow it down. Yesterday the company announced that the UK Financial Conduct Authority has approved its takeover of Sentenial Ltd, a business that provides real-time payments services to UK and European banks. The deal still needs the approval of the French regulator, Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution. In a market update earlier this month EML said it “remains in ongoing dialogue” with the CBI over concerns about the risk of money laundering and terrorism financing within EML’s subsidiary PFS Card Services Ireland Ltd.