Nicosia: Ms. Bruna Szego, Chair of the European Union’s Anti-money Laundering Authority (AMLA), visited Cyprus as part of her tour to strengthen coordination between AMLA and National Competent Authorities across the EU.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Ms. Szego’s visit to the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) included meetings with Mr. Kleanthis Ioannides, Cyprus’ representative to AMLA’s General Board, and CBC senior leaders Mr. George Karatzias and Ms. Pany Karamanou. The discussions focused on building an EU AML Community and enhancing cooperation with national authorities.
Ms. Szego led two round-table discussions during her visit. The first involved representatives from all National Competent Authorities in the financial and non-financial sectors, including the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). The second discussion included representatives from associations of obliged entities licensed in Cyprus. Ms. Szego encouraged participants to share their perspectives on the new AML approach’s opportunities and challenges, outlining AMLA’s priorities and addressing issues related to supervision harmonization.
In a statement, Ms. Szego emphasized the significance of direct engagement with National Competent Authorities and associations of obliged entities. She highlighted the importance of cooperation and coordination in achieving AMLA’s mission. Mr. Kleanthis Ioannides reiterated Cyprus’ commitment to supporting AMLA’s objectives.
AMLA, established after the legislative package on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing was adopted in May 2024, began operations on July 1, 2025. Based in Frankfurt, AMLA will become fully operational on January 1, 2028, assuming direct supervision of 40 financial obliged entities selected in 2027. The selection criteria will be based on cross-border activity and risk categorization, with indirect supervision extended to other entities in both financial and non-financial sectors, thus enhancing cooperation with national financial intelligence units.