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AMLA (EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority)

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AMLA is the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism, the EU agency established by Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 and based in Frankfurt am Main. It drafts the technical standards (which the Commission adopts) and issues the guidelines that give the AMLR its operational detail, coordinates national supervisors and financial intelligence units, and will directly supervise a limited number of high-risk financial institutions that operate across borders.

Also called: the EU AML Authority, the Anti-Money Laundering Authority.

Why it matters for PSPs and EMIs

For most payment and e-money institutions, AMLA's influence will be indirect but decisive: its standards define what "enough" customer due diligence looks like, and national supervisors will apply its methodology. For a cross-border institution with a high residual risk profile, AMLA may become the direct supervisor.

What the law says

  • Establishment and seat. Regulation (EU) 2024/1620, Art. 1 and Art. 4 (Frankfurt am Main).

  • Dates. The Regulation applies from 1 July 2025; a set of articles on establishment and standard-setting has applied since 26 June 2024 (Art. 108).

  • Standards and guidelines. Art. 49 (regulatory technical standards), Art. 53 (implementing technical standards) and Art. 54 (guidelines and recommendations). The AMLR sets many of AMLA's mandates, for example the regulatory technical standards on customer due diligence in AMLR Art. 28(1).

  • Who may be directly supervised. Art. 12: AMLA periodically assesses credit and financial institutions (and groups) operating in at least six Member States. Categories assessed include payment institutions and e-money institutions (Art. 12(4)). Those whose residual risk profile is classified as high qualify as "selected obliged entities" (Art. 13(1)); if more than 40 qualify, AMLA may limit the selection to a number that is still greater than 40 (Art. 13(2)). For the first selection only, AMLA supervises the 40 entities or groups operating in the most Member States (Art. 106(2)).

  • Timing of direct supervision. Art. 13(4): the first selection starts by 1 July 2027 and is concluded within six months; direct supervision begins six months after the list is published.

  • Exceptional transfers. Art. 14(1): in exceptional circumstances, a national financial supervisor may ask AMLA to take over direct supervision of a particular non-selected entity.

  • Current work. AMLA consulted on draft regulatory technical standards on customer due diligence (AMLR Art. 28(1)) from 9 February to 8 May 2026, and has also consulted on guidelines on ongoing monitoring (AMLR Art. 26(5)) and on the business-wide risk assessment (AMLR Art. 10(4)). On AMLA's own overview, last updated on 28 September 2026, all three consultations are closed and none of the three instruments had yet been finalised.

  • Later amendment. Regulation (EU) 2025/2088 amended the AMLA Regulation on reporting requirements and information exchange between authorities (Arts. 5, 55 and 88, and a new Art. 92a); the provisions cited on this page are unchanged.

Related

Sources

Informational only, not legal advice.