05 February 2020

EBA acts to improve AML/CFT supervision in Europe

The EBA published its first Report on competent authorities’ approaches to the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) supervision of banks. This publication is part of the EBA’s new role to lead, coordinate and monitor the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (ML/TF) in all EU Member States.

The EBA’s findings show that most competent authorities in this year’s sample are taking significant steps to strengthen their approach to AML/CFT supervision. AML/CFT supervisory staff have a good understanding of international and European AML/CFT standards and are committed to the fight against financial crime. Several competent authorities have made the fight against ML/TF one of their key priorities, and in a number of cases, significantly expanded their AML/CFT supervisory teams.

Nevertheless, the EBA found that significant challenges remain and are common to all competent authorities in the sample. These include the need to move away from a focus on tick box compliance to assessing the effectiveness of banks’ AML/CFT systems and controls.

Competent authorities also need to strengthen their approach to ensuring compliance by taking more proportionate and sufficiently dissuasive measures to correct deficiencies in banks’ AML/CFT systems and controls.

Finally, the EBA found that not all competent authorities were able to cooperate effectively with domestic and international stakeholders to draw on synergies and to position AML/CFT in the wider national and international supervisory framework.

Full press release on EBA

Full report on EBA

Full AML_CFT_factsheet on EBA

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