The European Union (EU) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) lists countries with deficits in the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation. The lists have far-reaching implications for country ratings and especially for ratings of financial service providers. FATF publishes a consolidated table of assessment ratings.
On the basis of Article 9 of the Fourth Money Laundering Directive (EU) 2015/849, the European Commission has defined third countries with high risk in the Delegated Regulation (EU). It includes the following countries: North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Ghana, Iraq, Jamaica, Yemen, Cambodia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar / Burma, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Zimbabwe, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Vanuatu.
Legal consequences and measures of the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) with regard to the listed countries with increased risk differ and follow this rating:
- North Korea,
- Iran,
- Afghanistan, Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Ghana, Iraq, Jamaica , Yemen, Cambodia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar / Burma, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Zimbabwe, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and Vanuatu and
- Albania.
As before, Albania, which is only listed in the FATF statement on “Jurisdictions under Increased Monitoring” and not in the Delegated Regulation, Albania has no immediate obligations to act and no additional due diligence or organizational obligations need to be fulfilled. Nonetheless, when assessing the country risk in the context of the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, the situation in Albania and / or people from Albania should be given due consideration, explains BaFin; otherwise, BaFin refers to the Deutsche Bundesbank and the national risk analysis.
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