Greece is stepping up preparations for a major international assessment of its efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, as authorities face mounting pressure to demonstrate that financial-crime safeguards are effective in practice and comply with tougher European Union rules.
The government is organizing its response to the fifth round of evaluations by the Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, the Paris-based international watchdog that sets global standards for combating illicit financial flows.
The preparations come as Greece also faces a July 2027 deadline to incorporate the EU’s latest anti-money-laundering directive into national law.
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ
At a recent meeting of Greece’s Strategic Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, officials agreed to develop a more detailed national action plan covering both the FATF assessment and the requirements of the EU’s sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, known as AMLD6.
Under the plan, government agencies, regulators and other competent authorities must submit detailed progress reports by **Nov. 3, 2026**, outlining measures already implemented, initiatives still underway and outstanding weaknesses in the country’s financial-crime prevention framework.
The review will go beyond examining whether Greece has adopted the necessary legislation. Authorities will be expected to provide evidence that existing safeguards are functioning effectively, identify operational shortcomings and propose corrective measures.
A central concern is the division of responsibilities among government bodies. Officials want to establish clear accountability for individual measures, reducing overlapping mandates and bureaucratic delays that could undermine enforcement.
Each agency will be required to document completed initiatives, explain obstacles to implementation and recommend solutions for unresolved issues.
Once the submissions have been collected, the Strategic Committee will assess the findings and finalize a national preparation strategy, setting priorities, assigning responsibilities and establishing deadlines.
The exercise comes at a critical juncture for Greece’s regulatory framework.
July 10, 2027, marks the principal deadline for EU member states to transpose AMLD6 into domestic legislation, leaving Greek authorities roughly nine months to identify gaps and advance the necessary legislative and institutional changes.
