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FCA’s survey on Financial Crime Controls in Corporate Finance firms exposes major AML gaps, with two-thirds failing key standards and urging stronger risk assessment, due diligence, and oversight

The FCA’s review reveals that a notable proportion of corporate finance firms fail to maintain comprehensive business-wide risk assessments or adequately monitor their appointed representatives. Strengthening these controls is essential to ensuring compliance with the Money Laundering Regulations and reducing the sector’s vulnerability to money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes…

G20/OECD Report on Blended Finance De-risking Measures warns that weak governance and opaque guarantee structures can turn blended-finance projects into targets for corruption, ML, and fraud

The report underscores that effective de-risking depends on transparent structures, coherent regulations, and well-governed financial ecosystems capable of attracting sustainable private investment. These measures, while aimed at mobilising capital, also strengthen safeguards against illicit finance by promoting clearer disclosure, traceability, and accountability across blended-finance operations…

UK AAT’s 2024–25 AML Annual Report reveals major compliance gaps among accountancy firms and rising crypto and AI-fraud risks, urging stronger governance to combat evolving FC

The report provides a detailed overview of AAT’s monitoring activity during the year, including practice-assurance reviews, identified deficiencies, enforcement actions and monetary fines imposed on members who fail to meet AML obligations. It further outlines the supervisory approach, emerging threats and highlights resources and guidance made available by AAT to help members fulfil their obligations under the UK’s Money Laundering Regulations…

AUSTRAC releases guidance for current and new reporting entities on AML/CTF reforms, effective 1 July 2026 – extending obligations to real estate, accounting, legal, and precious metals sectors

The guidance emphasizes a risk-based approach to AML/CTF programs, enhanced customer due diligence, and mandatory reporting of suspicious transactions to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. AUSTRAC aims to address evolving criminal tactics and support newly regulated sectors with resources and sector-specific guidance to strengthen financial crime prevention…

GAFILAT’s compliance report upgrades Bolivia for stronger proliferation sanctions, BO rules, and AML/CFT enforcement, leaving no non-compliant areas and only six partially compliant

Latest follow-up report notes significant enhancements to Bolivia’s legal and institutional framework, particularly through new regulations on targeted financial sanctions, beneficial ownership disclosure, and sanctions enforcement across reporting sectors. It also observes that while technical compliance has improved, further progress is needed to strengthen effectiveness, notably in non-profit oversight and individual accountability for ownership transparency…

ESMA’s 2025 Annual Sanctions Report reveals that EU authorities issued over 970 administrative sanctions and measures in 2024, totaling more than €100M in fines – mostly under MAR and MiFID II

Around 60% of actions involved fines and 10% were settlements exceeding €20 million. The report highlights significant variations in enforcement approaches across Member States, underscoring the need for greater supervisory consistency. ESMA emphasises that while sanctions alone do not determine supervisory effectiveness, increased transparency and data sharing are key to achieving more harmonised enforcement across the EU…

ESMA announces cyber risk and digital resilience as its 2026 supervisory priorities, focusing on DORA implementation and stronger EU coordination to boost financial system resilience

ESMA underscores that the activation of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) from January 2025 has sharpened its focus on enhancing ICT risk-management and digital operational resilience across the EU securities sector, noting strong engagement by national competent authorities (NCAs) to date. It further indicates that for 2026 the NCAs will build on their 2025 work on ESG disclosures and other priority themes, while ESMA remains ready to trigger supervisory action on additional emerging risks identified at Union-level…

OECD’s 10-year review of the BEPS initiative highlights major gains in tax transparency and global cooperation, indirectly reinforcing AML efforts by curbing profit-shifting and reducing avenues for illicit financial flows

The report reflects on ten years of international tax reform, noting stronger frameworks for transparency, information exchange, and fairer global taxation. These developments enhance the integrity of the financial system by narrowing gaps that enable corporate tax abuse and by complementing AML measures aimed at tracing and deterring illicit cross-border flows.

EBA’s 2024 Annual Report on Supervisory Convergence highlights progress to harmonise EU supervision across prudential and AML/CFT areas, strengthening consistency and oversight

The Report details the EBA’s extensive efforts to strengthen the alignment of supervisory approaches across Member States and across all dimensions of its activities: prudential, resolution, consumer protection, digital finance and, until the end of 2025, AML/CFT. This is also a first step in implementing the recommendations set out in the EBA’s Report on the efficiency of the regulatory and supervisory framework…

Swiss Federal Council opens consultation on draft legislation to combat ML, outlining plans for a BO register and extending AML obligations to consultancy activities – feedback until 30 Jan 2026

On 15 October 2025, the Swiss Federal Council initiated a public consultation on draft ordinances implementing the register of beneficial owners and expanding the Anti‑Money Laundering Act to cover certain legal and consultancy services. The consultation period runs until 30 January 2026, enabling stakeholders to provide input on the detailed regulatory framework…

 

EBA’s report on white-labelling reveals that about 35% of banks use this model, offering innovation opportunities but posing significant AML/CTF, fraud, transparency, and consumer protection risks

The EBA warns that the rapid growth of white-labelling often involving non-bank and unregulated partners such as online marketplaces undermines regulatory oversight, blurs consumer accountability, and heightens fraud and AML/CTF risks due to gaps in onboarding, monitoring, and data-sharing. To address these issues, the EBA plans supervisory convergence in 2026 to better map, regulate, and enhance transparency around white-labelling models across the EU…

EBA’s 2025 Final Report on AML/CFT Implementation Reviews shows EU supervision has strengthened, yet gaps in tools and enforcement remain, with AMLA set to ensure consistent FC oversight

The report highlights that national competent authorities have improved risk-based supervision, enhanced cooperation with domestic and international partners, and made better use of supervisory tools. It also identifies ongoing challenges, including staff shortages, limited resources, and uneven implementation of AML/CFT measures across jurisdictions, which could affect the effectiveness of the EU’s anti-money laundering framework…

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