European Union: White Collar Crime, Anti-Corruption & Fraud

The Hungarian Parliament has established a powerful new enforcement authority with extensive investigative and prosecutorial powers over public asset management. Companies heavily reliant on public funding face heightened scrutiny as the National Asset Protection and Recovery Office gains authority to conduct investigations, impose supervision, and pursue both criminal and civil enforcement actions.

Preparation of this Strategy closely follows on from the recently published National Risk Assessment on Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing 2026 and its associated Priority Action Implementation Plan...

Austrian authorities have uncovered a sophisticated international procurement network allegedly supplying CNC machines and metal processing tools to Russia's state-owned arms manufacturer ROSTEC, circumventing export controls through forged end-user certificates and a web of companies across multiple countries. The investigation has revealed exports valued at €3.3 million, with goods reportedly used in producing engines for missiles and fighter jets, leading to the arrest of a Belarussian national who

The Central Bank of Malta has issued new supervisory expectations for payment service providers offering instant payment services, establishing eleven key requirements to combat fraud in the instant payments environment. These expectations address critical areas including transaction monitoring, customer awareness, device registration protocols, and the implementation of automated fraud detection controls.

A Finnish CEO has been convicted and sentenced to nearly four years in prison for orchestrating the illegal export of 135 trucks to Russia by falsely declaring them as transit goods. The case resulted in significant financial penalties against his company, including confiscation of profits and property obtained from the sanctioned exports.

Two brothers in Germany have pleaded guilty mid-trial to breaching EU sanctions against Russia by shipping engineering and industrial equipment valued at €830,000 between 2023 and 2024. As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, both defendants have accepted four-year custodial sentences, with the court's verdict still pending while their father faces separate prosecution for related offenses.

The European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has released draft guidelines establishing a harmonised framework for Business-Wide Risk Assessments across EU Member States, expanding requirements...

Latvia's Customs Service has released enforcement statistics revealing hundreds of sanctions violations detected in the first quarter of 2026, including stopped shipments to Russia and Belarus, prevented cash exports, and initiated criminal prosecutions. The data provides insight into the scale and nature of sanctions evasion attempts being intercepted at Latvia's borders.

La Cour de justice de l'Union européenne établit qu'une plateforme organisant et monétisant des annonces publicitaires peut être tenue responsable des traitements de données personnelles effectués via ces encarts.