AMLD6 EU Criminal Law Directive

The Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6), formally known as Directive (EU) 2018/1673, was adopted in 2018 and came into effect in December 2020. It strengthens the criminal law framework for anti-money laundering (AML) across EU member states by establishing minimum rules for the definition of criminal offences and penalties.

AMLD6 introduces a harmonized list of predicate offences, clarifies the scope of criminal liability for both individuals and legal entities, and mandates tougher punishments for money laundering activities. It aims to improve cross-border cooperation and ensure consistent legal enforcement across the banking, financial services, crypto, legal, and real estate industries.