The EU AML6 Package

A Step Change in Europe’s AML/CFT Framework

by Patrick Kedzierski

In June 2024, the European Union adopted the AML6 Package, a major reform put in place to strengthen and align the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing across Member States. Published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 19 June 2024, the package responds to long-standing concerns around fragmented national rules, inconsistent supervision and regulatory arbitrage within the EU.

A Clearer and More Consistent Framework

The AML6 Package is built around three complementary legislative pillars that together aim to reduce complexity and improve consistency across the EU:

AMLD6, a directive which strengthens the governance and organisation of national AML frameworks and must be transposed into local law.
The AMLA Regulation, establishing a new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority with direct and indirect supervisory powers.
The AML Regulation, introducing a single set of directly applicable AML requirements for entities across all Member States.

This structure reflects a clear shift towards a more benchmarked approach to AML compliance at European level.

What AMLD6 Changes in Practice

AMLD6 focuses on making national AML systems more effective and better connected. In practical terms, it:

Improves cross-border cooperation between competent authorities, which is essential given the international nature of most money laundering schemes;
Reinforces access to bank account and beneficial ownership registers, enabling faster and more reliable tracing of illicit funds;
Requires Member States to apply dissuasive sanctions for AML breaches.

The objective is to reduce gaps between national systems and decrease opportunities for criminals to abuse regulatory differences among Member States.

AMLA: A New Supervisory Model

The creation of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) is the most visible and impactful change introduced by the package. Operational since July 2025 and based in Frankfurt, AMLA oversees and coordinates national supervisors.

The AMLA will establish direct supervision by closely monitoring at least 40 entities. Those will be selected based on their risk profile, starting from July 2027. The supervision of these entities will start from January 1^st 2028.

The new AML Authority will also establish indirect supervision by contributing of the financial sector by contributing to the evaluation of threats, risks and vulnerabilities of money laundering schemes, helping local authorities with setting up a harmonised supervisory framework and identifying weaknesses and improvement points in their application of AML rules and sanctioning system.

This new model is a significant step towards centralised AML supervision in the EU, especially for large or fast-growing institutions operating across multiple jurisdictions.

Key Challenges for Institutions

Member States across the EU received a new AML Package, giving them ready-to-apply tools to strengthen their AML practices. While the AML Regulation will apply directly, AMLD6 must be transposed by July 10th 2027, 3 years after its publication. This means institutions will need to monitor both EU-level developments and national implementations. In parallel, companies can expect increased expectations around data quality, IT systems and governance around AML.

Another change foreseen by the AMLD6, this time for higher institutions, is the use of a single access point for bank account information (who has which bank account where) which will be made available to national law enforcement authorities.

Conclusion

The AML6 Package substantially raises the bar for AML/CFT compliance in the EU. For entities in its scope, it brings higher supervisory expectations and greater transparency, but also the prospect of a more consistent and predictable regulatory environment. Early preparation and a clear understanding of the new framework will be key to managing both compliance risks and implementation steps.

A Clearer and More Consistent Framework

What AMLD6 Changes in Practice

AMLA: A New Supervisory Model

Key Challenges for Institutions

Conclusion

Sources

Taleo