The EU Anti-Money-Laundering Authority: A strategic roadmap

Financial crises often trigger pivotal changes in regulatory frameworks, fostering the establishment of specialised agencies to address emerging policy challenges. The recent formation of the EU Anti-Money-Laundering Authority (AMLA) marks a significant advancement in the European Union’s efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). Established as part of the European Commission’s 2021 initiative, AMLA is tasked with enhancing the identification of suspicious financial activities, fortifying oversight of high-risk cross-border financial entities and improving nonfinancial sector supervision through collaborative assessments. This paper contends that AMLA’s immediate priorities should encompass the structuring of governance and infrastructure, the enhancement of operational capacity, the adoption of a balanced regulatory framework and proactive stakeholder engagement. It emphasises the necessity for AMLA to align its efforts with recent recommendations aimed at bolstering Europe’s competitiveness while effectively addressing financial crime. By leveraging the experiences of existing European Supervisory Authorities, such as the European Securities and Markets Authority, AMLA can facilitate a cohesive regulatory environment and achieve supervisory consistency. These insights were derived from discussions presented by the author during a panel at the EUROFI forum in Budapest in September 2024, outlining key strategies for AMLA’s successful implementation amidst complex regulatory challenges. This article is included in The Business and Management Collection (https://hstalks.com/business/).