The EU’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) Launches: What Art Market Participants Need to Know

December 18, 2025

by ArtAML™ Team

On 1st July 2025, the European Union’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) officially began operations in Frankfurt, Germany. This marks the most significant structural change to EU AML/CFT supervision in decades and signals a new era of harmonised enforcement across member states.

What is AMLA?

AMLA is the EU’s first centralised authority dedicated to combating money laundering and terrorism financing. Established under the EU’s comprehensive AML reform package adopted in 2024, AMLA’s mandate is to coordinate national supervisors, ensure consistent application of AML/CFT rules and directly supervise high-risk financial institutions. The authority was created in response to fragmented national enforcement that allowed gaps and inconsistencies across the EU’s financial system.

How will AMLA operate?

AMLA will work alongside national supervisors rather than replacing them. It will coordinate Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs), facilitate cross-border case analysis and develop regulatory technical standards to harmonise AML/CFT practices EU-wide. From January 2028, AMLA will directly supervise 40 large, high-risk financial institutions operating across borders. While this initial cohort focuses on the financial sector, the standards AMLA sets are expected to influence compliance expectations across all supervised sectors.

What does this mean for Art Market Participants?

Art market participants will continue to be supervised by their national authorities – for example, Sweden’s Finansinspektionen will remain the primary regulators. However, AMLA’s role in coordinating these national bodies means several changes are on the horizon.

First, expect greater consistency in how AML/CFT rules are interpreted and enforced across EU member states. For AMPs operating in multiple jurisdictions, this should eventually reduce the complexity of navigating different national requirements. Second, AMLA will conduct peer reviews of national supervisors and can recommend enforcement actions, likely leading to heightened scrutiny and more rigorous oversight overall. Third, the benchmarks AMLA establishes through its direct supervision of financial institutions typically filter down to other supervised sectors, raising the bar for compliance expectations.

Looking ahead

While AMLA is now operational, it remains in its build-up phase. The authority is expected to reach full staffing by the end of 2027, with direct supervision of its first 40 entities beginning in January 2028. For art market participants, the immediate impact is limited, but AMLA’s establishment represents a clear signal that the EU is committed to more rigorous, coordinated AML/CFT enforcement across all sectors.

As the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, staying informed about these structural changes will be essential for maintaining compliance and understanding the direction of EU enforcement.