Brussels, 22 March 2022
MEPs sitting on the Economic Affairs (ECON) and Civil Liberties (LIBE) committees heard from experts on new proposals to fight money-laundering, and offered their own views.
In the hearing, guest experts outlined some of the ways in which the proposed Anti-Money Laundering package could help in the fight against illicit flows of money.
They discussed the possibilities for improved information-sharing and transparency, for example inter-connected registries, and the potential of the proposed Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA). The speakers underlined the societal impact of anti-money laundering measures, which can promote security, tackle human trafficking, and advance sustainability goals in Europe.
The following speakers presented their views:
- Marcus Pleyer, President of the Financial Action Task Force
- Guillaume Valette-Valla, Head of France’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) TRACFIN
- Ilze Znotina, Head of Latvia’s Financial Intelligence Unit
- Che Sidanius, Global Head of Financial Crime & Industry Affairs, Refinitiv
- Margarete von Galen, former President, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)
- Roland Papp, Senior Policy Officer – illicit financial flows, Transparency International EU
After the presentations, MEPs asked the experts about the role of beneficial ownership registries, the public availability of registries and implications for data protection, as well as international co-operation, notably relations with the EU’s neighbours Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Other topics in the debate included ceilings for cash transactions, co-operation and trust-building between stakeholders (for example the national FIUs and AMLA), crypto-assets, and the co-ordination of financial sanctions in Europe.
You can re-watch the hearing here.
More information and supporting material can be found here.