Art. 26 Alerts to obliged entities | Sixth anti-money laundering (AML 6) directive | AML

This article establishes the outward-facing, intelligence-sharing role of Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) toward obliged entities.

It sits alongside other articles governing FIU powers and functions, and acts as a counterpart to the reporting obligations that flow in the opposite direction — from obliged entities to FIUs.

Here, the flow is reversed: FIUs are required to proactively alert obliged entities to high-risk transactions, persons, and geographic areas to support their customer due diligence obligations.

Beyond these targeted alerts, FIUs must also provide obliged entities with broader strategic intelligence on money laundering and terrorist financing typologies, risk indicators, and trends on an annual basis.

Important points:

FIUs are required to alert obliged entities to specific high-risk transactions, persons, and geographic areas relevant to their customer due diligence obligations.
Any such targeted alert applies for a period set by national law, capped at a maximum of 6 months.
FIUs are required to share strategic intelligence on money laundering and terrorist financing typologies, risk indicators, and trends with obliged entities on an annual basis.

1. Member States shall ensure that FIUs are able to alert obliged entities of information relevant for the performance of customer due diligence pursuant to Chapter III of Regulation (EU) 2024/1624. That information shall include:
  1. types of transactions or activities that present a significant risk of money laundering, its predicate offences and terrorist financing;
  2. specific persons that present a significant risk of money laundering, its predicate offences and terrorist financing;
  3. specific geographic areas that present a significant risk of money laundering, its predicate offences and terrorist financing.
1. The requirement referred in paragraph 1 shall apply for a period laid down in national law, which shall not exceed 6 months.
1. FIUs shall provide obliged entities with strategic information about typologies, risk indicators and trends in money laundering and terrorist financing on an annual basis.