Within the framework of the project Countering Economic Crime in Serbia, a round table was held in Belgrade to present and discuss recommendations for enhancing of Serbia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legislative framework.
In March 2025, Serbia adopted a set of legislative amendments to its legal framework for the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, which are broadly aligned with international and European standards. Nevertheless, the European Union legal framework in this area is evolving rapidly in response to increasingly complex threats posed by organised criminal groups, underscoring the importance of maintaining alignment with the most recent regulatory developments.
To this end, a round table was organised to discuss the key findings of the compliance assessment of the newly adopted legislation with EU Directive (EU) 2024/1640 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1624, conducted within the project. The event brought together representatives of key national institutions responsible for developing, supervising, and implementing AML/CFT policies, to discuss the findings and recommendations focused on the three areas: the mandate and functioning of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU); requirements for beneficial ownership transparency as well as customer due diligence. The conclusions highlighted the need for Serbian authorities to continue with upgrade of the legal framework in particular regarding: immediate access of FIU to critical data sources; powers of Registrar to conduct beneficial ownership scrutiny and discrepancy reporting; and need for more elaborate customer due diligence procedures when it comes to politically exposed persons.
While Serbia is not yet a member of the European Union and the requirements of VI AMLD are therefore not legally binding at this stage, as an EU candidate country Serbia will be required to harmonise its legislation with the Directive and the Regulation in the course of the accession process, particularly under Chapter 24 accession negotiations. Although formal alignment efforts have not yet been initiated, Serbian authorities are undertaking preparatory measures, in order to ensure a smooth transition and facilitate future compliance with EU standards.
The round table was organised within the framework of the project “Countering Economic Crime in Serbia”, funded by Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and implemented by the Council of Europe.
