Everything you need to know about the new EU authority for combating money laundering
Money laundering is not an abstract phenomenon. It affects us all – as citizens, as businesses and as digital service providers. In the digital world in particular, there is growing pressure to detect financial crime at an early stage and combat it effectively. The EU is taking an ambitious step forward with the establishment of AMLA – the new Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
But what exactly is the AMLA? What does it do? And why is it also relevant for providers of electronic trust services such as Namirial? In this article, we provide clear answers to the most important questions – in a concise, understandable and practical way.
What does AMLA mean?
AMLA stands for Anti-Money Laundering Authority. It is a new EU-wide supervisory authority that was officially established in 2024 and is expected to be operational from 2026. Its goal: to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing more effectively – with uniform rules, greater transparency and direct supervision of high-risk financial and non-financial actors.
Why was the AMLA established?
The AMLA is part of the comprehensive EU action plan to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, which was presented in July 2021. The background:Despite existing regulations, major money laundering scandals continued to occur. National differences in implementation and supervision made it difficult to combat effectively.
The AMLA is now intended to:
- Set and monitor uniform standards
- Take direct supervision of particularly high-risk financial companies
- Coordinate cooperation between national authorities
- Centrally analyze and evaluate suspicious activity reports
Where will the AMLA be based?
After an intensive selection process, the decision was made: the AMLA will have its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main. The decision was deliberately made in favor of one of Europe’s most important financial centers – in close proximity to the European Central Bank and other supervisory authorities.
Which companies does the AMLA affect?
Initially, the AMLA will primarily target:
- Financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies and payment service providers
- Non-financial actors such as real estate companies, jewelers and gambling providers
- Crypto service providers
And in the future: providers of digital identity and trust services, as soon as they are involved in risk-relevant processes
Even though qualified trust service providers such as Namirial are not currently directly subject to AMLA supervision, we are monitoring regulatory developments very closely – especially where digital identities and financial transactions overlap.
What is the significance of the AMLA for digital trust services?
Even though the AMLA may appear at first glance to be a “financial supervisory authority”, its activities indirectly affect all digital players involved in processes involving identity verification, contract conclusion or payment processing.
For Namirial as a qualified trust service provider, this means:
- Interfaces to KYC (Know Your Customer) processes must be adapted even more strictly to AML risks in future
- Identity data from electronic signatures may become relevant for AML purposes
- Cooperation with financial institutions requires legally valid and AML-compliant processes
We take this development seriously and are continuously working to further develop our processes in a legally compliant, secure manner and in line with EU requirements.
AMLA: benefits for the economy
The AMLA is intended not only to reduce risks, but also to strengthen confidence in the European single market. Companies benefit from:
- Clearer rules for AML compliance
- Faster coordination between Member States
- Greater transparency in transactions
- Lower reputational risks through more targeted prevention
For international providers such as Namirial, this also means less uncertainty, more predictability and a uniform framework for digital business models in Europe.
Conclusion: ehe AMLA is more than just a supervisory authority
The establishment of the AMLA marks a turning point in European financial and security policy. It shows that the EU is determined to take decisive action against money laundering and terrorist financing – with clear guidelines, transparent supervision and central coordination.
For trust service providers such as Namirial, it is crucial to respond to these changes at an early stage, identify interfaces with the AML framework and work with partners to design legally valid, secure solutions.
