AMLA: structure, mandate and impact on the European system

A new European architecture

AMLA is the European Union authority dedicated to preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. Its role is not merely to add another institutional layer: it is intended to support correct and consistent application of EU rules and strengthen cooperation among Financial Intelligence Units.

AMLA is based in Frankfurt. It has had legal existence since 26 June 2024 and has progressively begun its activities.

What it will do

Its mandate combines supervision, coordination and regulatory work.

• direct supervision of selected high-risk cross-border financial entities;
• indirect supervision of financial and non-financial sectors through coordination of national authorities;
• support for FIUs, including joint analysis of cross-border cases and controlled information exchange;
• development of technical standards, guidance and tools completing the legislative framework.

The 2027–2028 trajectory

According to the official timeline, 40 obliged entities will be selected for direct supervision during 2027. Direct supervision and full operational capacity are due to begin in 2028.

Entities outside direct supervision should still consider the effect of more uniform standards, shared benchmarks and progressively aligned national expectations.

Who remains your point of contact?

For entities not selected for direct AMLA supervision, the competent national supervisor remains the ordinary supervisory counterpart. AMLA develops standards and coordinates convergence; reporting suspicious activity follows the applicable FIU channel, not a generic submission to AMLA. First identify the instrument and intended recipient before changing a process.