The conference was organised by the AMLP Forum, a cross-industry association of AML, anti-corruption and financial crime prevention professionals. Szego reflected on AMLA's rapid progress since being established on paper just a year ago. She outlined the evolving nature of financial crime, noting that technology is enabling money to move faster and in new ways, while global interconnectedness and geopolitical tensions are creating new vulnerabilities. In this landscape, criminals actively exploit gaps between national systems, making a European, harmonised approach essential.
Szego presented AMLA's three core objectives: completing the Single Rulebook, achieving supervisory convergence, and supporting national Financial Intelligence Units. On the Single Rulebook, she noted that AMLA is preparing around 40 Level 2 and Level 3 measures, prioritising mandates important to industry such as Customer Due Diligence and self-assessment requirements. On supervision, the Chair explained the steps required before AMLA begins directly supervising 40 financial institutions from 2028, while also developing harmonised tools for national supervisors. On financial intelligence, she highlighted peer reviews and joint analyses planned for 2026.
The Chair emphasised cooperation, noting MOUs signed with the ECB and the three European Supervisory Authorities, and arrangements being formalised with European law enforcement agencies. She underlined her commitment to dialogue with the private sector, having visited nearly all Member State capitals to meet with industry representatives.
Addressing compliance costs, Szego acknowledged the need to balance robustness with proportionality, noting that the new AML package will ultimately reduce complexity. She concluded with remarks on technology, highlighting upcoming work on the crypto-asset market and the development of AMLA's IT infrastructure and future SupTech solutions.