Preventing money laundering in the banking sector - reinforcing the supervisory and regulatory framework

This paper provides an overview of current initiatives and actions aiming at reinforcing the anti-money laundering (AML) supervisory and regulatory framework in the EU, in particular from a Banking Union perspective. This briefing first outlines the EU framework for fighting money laundering, which includes legislation (most notably the 5th AML Directive) and a number of Commission and Council Action Plans. Secondly, an overview of AML prevention relevant authorities, at both the EU and national level, is provided. This section also explains the 2019 review of the founding regulations of the European Supervisory Authorities, through which competences relating to preventing AML in the financial sector were consolidated within the European Banking Authority. Lastly, the paper highlights the latest proposed changes to the AML framework, as proposed by the Commission in their AML package published in July 2021. It is relevant to note that this briefing focuses on AML concerns in the banking sector. While financial and non-financial intermediaries have an important role to play, these are not the focus of this briefing. Nevertheless, reference is made to closely related areas (notably, to Financial Intelligence Units, the work of markets and insurance supervisors on preventing AML and related matters) when relevant to a better understanding of its impacts on the banking sector. This paper builds on and updates a previous EGOV briefing on the same topic.