AMLA ¦ AMLA to Launch Data Collection Exercise to Test Risk Assessment Models for the Financial Sector

AMLA Begins Data Collection Exercise to Calibrate Risk Models Ahead of Direct Supervision Selection

The Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) is set to launch a data collection exercise in March to test and calibrate the risk assessment models it will use to inform the selection of up to 40 financial institutions for direct supervision beginning in 2028. This preparatory phase is intended both to support the 2027 selection process and to promote consistent assessment of money laundering risks by supervisors across the EU.

The exercise will be carried out in close cooperation with national supervisors and the private sector. Two groups of financial institutions have been identified to participate: those that may be eligible for AMLA’s future direct supervision and a representative sample of entities likely to remain under national supervision. National supervisors supplied AMLA with lists of both groups, and AMLA has notified the firms chosen to take part in the exercise.

Why private sector participation matters

High-quality private sector data is essential to building a robust selection model and to devising a common EU-wide risk assessment methodology. AMLA regards the exercise as an opportunity for participating institutions to test and adapt their reporting systems ahead of future data collections. For AMLA, the exercise is a chance to validate and refine data requirements and the modelling approach so that the full selection process in 2027 rests on reliable inputs.

AMLA Chair Bruna Szego emphasised the importance of industry engagement, saying that testing and validating the models is a key step towards effective and harmonised risk assessments across the EU. The authority expects that private sector cooperation will help ensure the final models are both robust and reliable.

Bastian Schwind-Wagner _Follow

"AMLA’s upcoming data collection exercise is a necessary and pragmatic step to ensure that the selection of entities for direct supervision is based on reliable, comparable data across the EU. Close cooperation between AMLA, national supervisors and the private sector will help identify and close data and process gaps before the formal selection in 2027.

Participating financial institutions should use this opportunity to test internal reporting systems and improve data quality, while national supervisors can align methodologies and reduce cross-border inconsistencies. Ultimately, a well-calibrated model will support more consistent and effective AML/CFT supervision at both national and EU levels."

How the results will be used

Following the testing and calibration phase, AMLA will finalise the list of entities eligible for its direct supervision remit. National supervisors will then be asked to collect specified data points from those identified eligible entities in early 2027. The data gathered by national supervisors will feed into AMLA’s subsequent selection of up to 40 entities that will be placed under direct oversight starting in 2028.

This staged approach aims to balance thorough model development with operational readiness. By validating methodology and data flows now, AMLA seeks to reduce uncertainty and to provide clearer expectations for institutions that may fall under EU-level supervision.

Implications for supervised entities and supervisors

For financial institutions, participating in the exercise provides a practical chance to align internal systems with the data demands of cross-border supervisory processes and to identify potential gaps before the formal selection phase. For national supervisors, the exercise offers harmonised inputs and a tested framework to support consistent risk measurement across jurisdictions.

The initiative also signals AMLA’s move from conceptual design to operational implementation of a European-level AML/CFT supervisory regime. The quality of the upcoming selection and subsequent supervision will depend heavily on the success of this data collection and model calibration exercise.

Next steps and additional information

After calibration is complete, AMLA will establish the final list of entities eligible for direct supervision and national supervisors will conduct the required data collection in early 2027. This information will be central to AMLA’s final selection of up to 40 directly supervised entities for 2028.

Dive deeper

• AMLA ¦ AMLA to Launch Data Collection Exercise to Test Risk Assessment Models for the Financial Sector ¦ Link