Update on EU’s AML authority
AMLA has set out its strategic priorities and launched public consultations.
- AML
As the EU Authority for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT), AMLA is tasked with transforming AML and CFT supervision in the EU and enhancing cooperation among financial intelligence units.
Timeline
Once AMLA is fully operational, supervision of selected high-risk financial entities begins in 2028. Designated non-financial professions and businesses – including solicitors – will continue to be supervised by the relevant national supervisory authorities. This means that there will be no direct supervision by AMLA.
However, AMLA will supervise national supervisory authorities and coordinate supervisory practices. In exceptional cases, the AMLA can supervise any entity if it does not sufficiently or promptly implement the requirements of the national supervisory authority.
Action plan
The AMLA has published its 2026-28 Single Programming Document (SPD). It is the Authority's first multi-year plan, setting out priorities, timelines and work programme.
The SPD highlights three core deliverables:
- Completing the Single Rulebook
- Advancing supervisory convergence
- Strengthening cooperation among Financial Intelligence Units
The SPD also outlines five interlinked activities that shape AMLA’s work in 2026 – with an impact across the three-year period to 2028:
- Delivering on core regulatory mandates
- Advancing direct supervision • Operationalising the FIU framework
- Laying the foundations for indirect supervision and oversight
- Building AMLA’s risk frameworks
For more details, you can access the relevant documents below:
Have your say
On 9 February 2026, AMLA launched public consultations for three draft Regulatory Technical Standards:
- Pecuniary sanctions, administrative measures and periodic penalty payments: Respond by 9 March 2026.
- Customer Due Diligence: Respond by 8 May 2026.
- Criteria for identifying business relationships, occasional and linked transactions and lower thresholds: Respond by 8 May 2026.
Responses to public consultations will inform the finalisation of draft Regulatory and Implementing Technical Standards, Guidelines, Recommendations, Opinions, and Technical Advice.
The Law Society is engaging with AMLA in relation to these technical standards. Solicitors are encouraged to provide feedback to AMLA to ensure adoption of technical standards that are relevant and proportionate to the legal sector.
Visit the AMLA website to access:
