EBA Transfers AML/CFT Powers to AMLA in EU Supervision Shift

The European Banking Authority (EBA) and the Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) have formally completed the handover of all anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing mandates, effective 1 January 2026. The transition marks the end of the EBA’s standalone AML/CFT role, which began in 2020, and represents a structural shift in how the European Union oversees financial crime risks.

The transfer is a core component of the EU AML/CFT legislative package, which established AMLA as the central authority within a new, integrated supervisory system. From 2026, AMLA assumes responsibility for completing the EU Single Rulebook on AML/CFT, strengthening supervisory convergence across Member States, and coordinating Financial Intelligence Units to improve cross-border intelligence sharing.

To ensure continuity, AMLA and the EBA worked closely throughout the transition period. Key EBA assets, including the EuReCa database, supervisory methodologies, and accumulated risk assessments, have been migrated to AMLA. Importantly for regulated firms, all existing EBA AML/CFT guidelines and technical standards remain in force until formally replaced, avoiding regulatory gaps or uncertainty.

Under the new framework, AMLA will directly supervise 40 of the most complex and highest-risk financial institutions and groups operating within the EU. This introduces, for the first time, a centralised supervisory authority with direct oversight powers in the AML/CFT space, significantly strengthening the EU’s ability to manage systemic financial crime risks.

The EBA retains a complementary role, continuing to address money laundering and terrorist financing risks through its prudential supervision mandate. Both authorities have committed to close cooperation, underpinned by a formal European Supervisory Authorities (ESA) AMLA Memorandum of Understanding, which enables structured information sharing, joint initiatives, and coordinated engagement with the private sector.

The completion of this handover signals a decisive move towards a more consistent, intelligence-led and centralised EU response to financial crime, with AMLA positioned as the cornerstone of the new supervisory architecture.

Read the memorandum here.