Speaking to an audience of supervisors, compliance professionals and financial institutions, Szego framed her remarks around five long-term ambitions guiding AMLA's work: ambition, cooperation, technological responsiveness, transparency, and global engagement. She stressed the importance of positioning AMLA as an international reference point, engaging with institutions such as the FATF to contribute to global standards in the fight against financial crime.
Turning to AMLA's progress, the Chair noted that the Authority had secured its Frankfurt headquarters, established governance structures, and formalised partnerships with the European Supervisory Authorities and the ECB. She added that AMLA's workforce would more than double by year-end, while progress was being made on acquiring the secure IT systems needed for supervisory and FIU functions.
Szego also addressed direct supervision of 40 financial institutions from 2028, outlining three components under development: a risk assessment model to guide selection, technical standards for coordinating with national supervisors, and a centralised database integrating data across sectors. She acknowledged that the selection of entities is not yet finalised, as these building blocks are still being put in place.
She closed by emphasising that AMLA's role is to reinforce and connect national authorities, not replace them, calling for continued partnership between supervisors and obliged entities.