Recent Changes in EU Regulations on Combating Money Laundering (AMLD 6)

Discover the latest changes in the EU’s AMLD 6 directive and how businesses can prepare for the new requirements.

04 Jul 2025 |

Due to the significant increase in financial crimes across EU countries in recent years, numerous mandatory and recommended provisions have been introduced to combat them. The current directives, combined with new AML requirements, expand the scope of entities, subjects, and the general definition of such legal violations.

Introduction

The latest innovations in the fight against money laundering are found in Directive AMLD 6. It introduces key changes for stricter criminal liability and more effective law enforcement. While AMLD 5 aimed to establish a foundation of transparency and secure control over the most common beneficiaries in such financial crimes, AMLD 6 adds new ones and simultaneously harmonizes criminal prosecution and enforcement across all EU member states.

Key Changes in AMLD 6

The new anti-money laundering regulations outline several critical changes in the overall strategy against all types of financial crimes within the EU.

Expansion of the Directive’s Scope

AMLD 6 includes additional categories of obligated entities not previously covered. Beyond individuals, companies—such as legal consultants, accountants, real estate agents involved in large transactions or with international clients, and crypto service providers—are now subject to criminal liability. KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures for client identification and verification are now much stricter.

Criminalization of Additional Offenses

The range of financial crimes has notably expanded. Cybercrimes are increasingly targeted, with tightened control to prevent hacking and online fraud. The directive also introduces new regulations concerning tax evasion and organized cross-border criminal activity.

Increased Sanctions and Liability

AMLD 6 firmly establishes the principle of mandatory criminal liability for individuals, setting a minimum effective prison sentence of 4 years. Fine amounts have also been significantly increased.

Enhanced International Cooperation

To enable effective and timely cross-border prosecution of offenders across the EU, the new AML requirements include strategies to improve information exchange between regulatory bodies. A modern central database is being established to track suspicious transactions and provide financial data on sanctioned or prosecutable individuals. The goal is to speed up investigations and reduce potential damage.

Impact of AMLD 6 on Businesses

The expanded liability for both individuals and legal entities, the need for increased internal controls, and the heavier administrative burden for compliance, as well as the risk of much higher penalties, are just some of the consequences businesses must navigate under the new directive. Here's what specifically changes for businesses:

Financial Institutions
Under AMLD 6, monitoring for potential financial crimes is a mandatory responsibility for regulatory bodies. The EU imposes higher standards for regular audits and accountability, requiring additional investment in modern technologies and staff training.
Non-Financial Companies
These must now perform more detailed checks on each client and partner. This demands additional spending, including engaging legal professionals for regular consultations and internal audits. Non-financial companies are also exposed to the risk of heavy fines and effective sentences.

How Businesses Can Prepare for the New Requirements

Businesses must respond appropriately to AMLD 6 not only to avoid penalties but also to improve the broader economic climate necessary for their success. Experts - and the directive itself- recommend the following actions:

Conduct a thorough review of the current AML strategy and adapt it with suitable compliance solutions.
Implement modern RegTech tools for automated, stricter, and more detailed KYC processes, extending them across more sectors and procedures.
Organize professional retraining programs for finance departments and expert staff.
Ensure internal control by collaborating with institutions and partners.

How Truvity Can Help

Following the implementation of AMLD 6, Truvity serves as a reliable technological partner for businesses to individually adopt the directive’s provisions. Through its highly efficient AML/CFT process improvements, robust KYC modules, risk monitoring operations, and automated data collection, Truvity reduces the time and resources needed to meet new legal obligations.

Truvity provides maximum flexibility in decision-making related to financial operations and compliance with the latest AML measures. The platform also enables real-time identification of suspicious transactions and secure storage of all required documentation.

Conclusion

AMLD 6 fundamentally changes the processes and affected parties involved in the EU's collective fight against money laundering and similar financial crimes. Though its adoption brings additional - and often costly - burdens for a wide range of economic actors, its expected impact generates optimism among experts for both the future business environment and national security. Truvity’s system can significantly reduce the effort required to implement AMLD 6. Contact us for a consultation!

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