The European Union’s Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) has finalized three sets of draft regulatory technical standards designed to clarify how companies and professionals should apply key AML/CFT requirements.
AMLA announced the development on October 1, 2026, describing the standards as an important step toward a more consistent EU AML/CFT framework.
The standards cover customer due diligence, business relationships and occasional or linked transactions, as well as group-wide AML/CFT arrangements.
Three Areas Covered by the Standards
The first set of standards addresses business relationships and occasional transactions. It establishes how companies and professionals should distinguish between those relationships and how linked transactions should be identified.
This is important because customer due diligence thresholds can depend on the nature and value of transactions. A consistent approach to identifying linked transactions can therefore help firms apply the appropriate CDD requirements.
The second set focuses directly on customer due diligence.
It addresses information that companies and professionals must collect and verify and includes proportionate measures for lower-risk situations. The standards also address non-face-to-face verification, electronic identification and screening requirements concerning politically exposed persons, their family members and close associates.
The third set establishes minimum requirements for group-wide AML/CFT arrangements. These include governance, risk management, internal controls and secure information sharing across relevant parts of a group.
A Risk-Based and Proportionate Framework
AMLA said the three standards are intended to provide clearer expectations for obliged entities and supervisors while maintaining a proportionate and risk-based approach.
The standards were developed in cooperation with national supervisors and followed written consultations and hearings involving stakeholders.
For multinational financial groups, the group-wide requirements are particularly relevant because AML/CFT controls often operate across multiple jurisdictions and legal entities.
A consistent framework can help organizations establish clearer responsibilities for governance, risk management and information sharing.
What Happens Next
AMLA has submitted the final draft standards to the European Commission.
The standards are not immediately applicable simply because AMLA has finalized the drafts. They must first be adopted and published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
AMLA said the standards are proposed to apply six months after their entry into force. A specific exception applies to football agents and professional football clubs, for which the standards will apply from July 10, 2029.
This distinction is important for compliance professionals because the announcement represents a major regulatory development, but the final standards should not be treated as immediately applicable obligations before the required adoption and publication process is completed.
Why This Matters for AML and KYC Professionals
KYC teams should pay particular attention to the CDD requirements covering information collection, verification, electronic identification and PEP screening.
AML compliance teams should also monitor the requirements concerning group-wide governance, risk management and internal controls.
Organizations operating across EU jurisdictions may need to assess whether existing procedures can accommodate the more consistent framework once the standards become applicable.
Key Takeaways
AMLA finalized three sets of draft RTS on October 1, 2026.
The standards cover CDD, business and linked transactions, and group-wide AML/CFT arrangements.
PEP screening, electronic identification and non-face-to-face verification are included in the CDD standards.
The standards have been submitted to the European Commission.
They will apply only after adoption, publication and the applicable implementation period.
SOURCE
AMLA official announcement
