MONEYVAL’s Compliance Enhancing Procedures ensure that countries take steps to meet the international standards and follow MONEYVAL recommendations within an appropriate time frame. 

The CEPs process can be applied flexibly according to need. Countries may be placed in the CEPs process as a result of plenary discussions on mutual evaluation reports, progress reports, as a result of horizontal reviews of overall progress at the end of an evaluation round, or for other reasons. 

Throughout the application of these steps, the country concerned is required to report to the plenary according to the set calendar, detailing the steps taken to achieve compliance, which, in certain cases, may include action plans endorsed at government level. If the plenary is satisfied with progress, the application of CEPs steps can be terminated. 

The graduated process is currently as follows:

  • Step 1: MONEYVAL inviting the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to send a letter to the relevant Minister(s) of the State or territory concerned, drawing his/her/their attention to non-compliance with the reference documents and the necessary corrective measures to be taken; 
  • Step 2: Arranging a high-level mission to the non-complying State or territory to meet relevant Ministers and senior officials to reinforce this message; 
  • Step 3: In the context of the application of the 2012 FATF Recommendation 19 by MONEYVAL States and territories, issuing a formal public statement to the effect that a State or territory insufficiently complied with the reference documents and inviting the members of the global AML/CFT network to take into account the risks posed by the non-complying State or territory. 
  • Step 4: Referring the matter for possible consideration under the FATF’s International Co-operation Review Group (ICRG) process, if this meets the nomination criteria set out under the ICRG procedures

The steps of the CEPs, as described above, are a result of amendments adopted at the 43rd Plenary meeting (December 2013), previously the process was as follows:

  • A letter from the MONEYVAL Chair to the head of delegation drawing attention to the non-compliance with the reference documents. The letter is copied to the plenary meeting. 
  • A letter from the MONEYVAL Chair to the Secretary General drawing his attention to the non-compliance by a MONEYVAL participating State. The letter is copied to the head of delegation concerned. 
  • A letter from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to the relevant government minister drawing attention to non-compliance with the reference documents. 
  • A high level mission to the country concerned, to reinforce this message from step iii).
  • A formal public statement drawing attention to the State’s failure to comply with MONEYVAL’s reference documents.