Greece is entering a high-pressure year as it prepares to align fully with the European Union’s new framework for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
The European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA), through its 2025 Work Programme, has placed Greece among the countries expected to implement wide-ranging institutional and regulatory reforms. This move comes as part of a broader EU push to strengthen financial transparency and close long-standing loopholes in national systems.
AMLA, which is temporarily based in Frankfurt and set to move permanently to The Hague, is assuming a central role in the EU's anti-money laundering architecture. It will coordinate and oversee member states' compliance efforts, issuing 23 technical guidelines by 2026. These guidelines cover key areas such as supervisory practices, risk assessment, and the operations of national Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs)—agencies tasked with tracking and analyzing suspicious financial activity.
For Greece, the implications are significant. The country will need to revise its national legislation and overhaul supervisory procedures to meet the new European standards. This includes bringing sectors that have historically operated with limited oversight—such as lawyers, notaries, and auditors—under stricter regulatory scrutiny. These professions, considered high-risk for potential money laundering activities, will now be subject to tighter controls.
In parallel, AMLA will not only monitor financial institutions and businesses but also directly supervise Greek regulatory authorities, including the Bank of Greece, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission, and the Hellenic Accounting and Auditing Standards Oversight Board (ELTE). It will also coordinate with Greece’s national Anti-Money Laundering Authority, enhancing cross-border cooperation and compliance.
As part of the broader EU initiative, Greece will undergo peer reviews to assess the capacity and performance of its anti-money laundering institutions. These evaluations will help determine the country’s risk ranking within the EU and influence how it is monitored moving forward. Additionally, Greece will be required to contribute to a central European database tracking violations related to money laundering and terrorist financing, reinforcing the EU’s shared system of prevention, enforcement, and information exchange.
