EU AMLA Issues Reporting Standards for Direct Supervision Selection
The EU AMLA published a standardized reporting package to guide Member States in selecting entities for direct supervision starting in 2028.
Why it matters: The move sets new compliance benchmarks for financial institutions and legal teams operating across the EU. Entities meeting specific cross-border criteria may soon face direct scrutiny from AMLA, expanding regulatory oversight for high-risk firms.
- Reporting package includes a standard template and interpretative note for supervisors and entities.
- Institutions must operate in at least six EU Member States to qualify for direct AMLA supervision.
- Criteria for selection will reference figures as of 31 December 2025 and apply at the group level.
- Provisional list of eligible entities is expected by end of September 2026.
The EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has released a comprehensive reporting package to standardize how Member State supervisors identify entities for direct supervision. The initiative is part of AMLA’s next phase toward directly overseeing up to 40 cross-border financial institutions starting in 2028.
- The package—issued 12 May 2026—features a reporting template and interpretative note, designed to clarify requirements for both national supervisors and obliged entities across the EU.
- National supervisors will manage data collection from entities under their remit and communicate the necessary practical steps.
- To qualify for direct supervision, institutions must operate in at least six EU Member States. For cross-border services, entities need either more than 20,000 resident customers in a Member State or must process over €50 million in combined annual transactions from those customers to meet eligibility.
- Eligibility is assessed at the group level, with figures dated 31 December 2025.
Earlier this year, AMLA ran a large-scale data collection exercise to refine its risk assessment models, with reporting due between March and April 2026 in preparation for harmonized oversight. “By testing and validating our models, we are taking the next steps toward effective and harmonised risk assessments across the EU,” AMLA Chair Bruna Szego stated.
The provisional list of entities eligible for direct supervision is anticipated by the end of September 2026.
To support implementation, AMLA will host a public webinar on 10 June 2026, providing a practical walkthrough of its reporting template.
By the numbers:
- 6 — minimum number of EU Member States an institution must operate in for AMLA direct supervision eligibility
- 20,000 — minimum resident customers required per Member State for certain eligibility, or €50 million in cross-border transactions
- 40 — maximum number of entities expected to come under direct AMLA supervision starting in 2028
What's next: AMLA will host a public webinar on 10 June 2026, and the provisional list of eligible entities is due by end-September 2026.