Germany: Money Laundering

The Council of the European Union has adopted its 20th and 21st sanctions packages against Russia, marking a fundamental shift in EU sanctions policy. Rather than simply expanding lists of designated persons, these measures systematically target the financial infrastructure—payment channels, banking relationships, crypto-asset ecosystems, correspondent banking, trade finance, and maritime logistics—that enables Russia's war economy.

Die BaFin hat ihre aufsichtlichen Anforderungen an die Nutzung virtueller IBANs verschärft und fordert strengere Compliance-Kontrollen zur Bekämpfung von Geldwäsche und Terrorismusfinanzierung.

Germany's financial regulator BaFin has issued new supervisory guidance on virtual IBANs, addressing concerns about transparency in payment flows and beneficial ownership while affirming that vIBANs remain legitimate payment infrastructure. The communication requires firms to demonstrate that their governance, customer transparency and monitoring arrangements have kept pace with technological innovation, particularly in relation to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing controls.

At the start of July 2025, AMLA - the EU's new "Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism" published its Annual Work Programme (AWP) for 2025.

On May 5, 2025, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) entered into a coalition agreement (Coalition Agreement) with the Social Democratic Party of Germany...

The European Banking Authority has released a draft technical package for version 4.3 of its reporting framework, introducing new supervisory reporting requirements for third-country branches under CRD VI and AML-related reporting supporting AMLA's supervision framework. With consultation open until May 2026 and implementation dates approaching in late 2026 and early 2027, financial institutions must assess their exposure to these requirements and begin preparing their data systems and reporting processes.

Drogen, Menschenhandel, illegale Waffengeschäfte, Terrorfinanzierung und Kartellabsprachen – Themen, die die meisten nur aus Krimis und den Medien kennen.

On 9 June 2023, the EU's recastShow Footnote Wire Transfer Regulation (WTR II)Show Footnote (also sometimes referred to as the Transfer of Funds Regulation) was published in the EU's Official Journal.

The Financial Action Task Force is the organisation that sets global standards (Recommendations) to prevent money laundering and financing of terrorism as well as financial crime generally.