On 18 December 2024, the European Parliament approved the appointment of the President of the new Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Authority (AMLA). This European agency, created to strengthen the fight against illicit financial flows, will now be headed by a leader chosen from among qualified candidates.
AMLA (Anti-Money Laundering Authority) is a new European Union agency, whose creation was decided as part of the 2021 anti-money laundering legislative package. Its role is to directly supervise the riskiest financial institutions, coordinate national authorities, and ensure uniform application of EU rules on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. The appointment of its President is a key step in making the agency operational.
The European Parliament voted on the proposal to appoint the President of AMLA, submitted by the Council of the EU. MEPs approved this appointment by a large majority. The elected President will serve a non-renewable five-year term and will be responsible for leading the agency, representing AMLA, and implementing its strategic missions.
The vote was held by secret electronic ballot. The results are as follows:
The appointment was therefore broadly approved, with more than 87% of votes in favour.
With a President at its helm, AMLA can begin to operate fully. For European citizens, this means better protection against criminal activities such as money laundering, terrorist financing, or tax fraud. The agency will have the power to impose direct sanctions on banks and other financial institutions that do not comply with the rules, which should strengthen confidence in the financial system. Ultimately, this centralised supervision aims to make it more difficult to use the European financial system for illicit purposes, thereby protecting the legal economy and citizens.
Approximate match via declared fields of interest. This does not prove influence on this vote.
