Updates on the List of High Risk Jurisdictions: what it means and how companies should react

Last week marked a significant turning point in the global fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. The joint FATF–MONEYVAL Plenary, held in Strasbourg on 12–13 June, coincided with a major update by the European Commission to its list of high-risk jurisdictions. Together, these developments send a strong signal to the financial sector and other obligated entities: regulatory scrutiny is intensifying, and expectations are rising.

European Union: Revised List of High-Risk Third Countries

On 10 June 2025, the European Commission published a revised list of jurisdictions identified as having strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) regimes. Newly added to the list are:

• Monaco, Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Namibia, Nepal, and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, the following jurisdictions were removed:

• Barbados, Gibraltar, Jamaica, Panama, the Philippines, Senegal, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates.

  
  

Inclusion on the EU’s list requires enhanced due diligence measures for transactions and business relationships linked to these jurisdictions. Removal, on the other hand, may ease compliance burdens, though ongoing risk assessments remain essential.

FATF–MONEYVAL Plenary: Key Outcomes

Held in Strasbourg on 12–13 June, the joint Plenary of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and MONEYVAL produced several key outcomes:

• British Virgin Islands and Bolivia were added to the grey list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring;

• Croatia, Mali and Tanzania were removed from the list, having completed their respective FATF action plans;

• A revised interpretation of Recommendation 16 was adopted, reinforcing the traceability of cross-border payments.

  
  

These developments underscore FATF’s ongoing efforts to strengthen global AML/CFT standards and promote consistency in regulatory expectations across regions.

What This Means for the Private Sector

For financial institutions, professional services firms, fintechs, real estate agents, and other entities, the implications are clear:

• Enhanced due diligence must now be applied to relationships involving newly listed jurisdictions such as Monaco, Kenya, and Lebanon;

• Internal AML/CFT policies should be reviewed and updated to reflect both FATF and EU list changes;

• Continuous monitoring of clients and counterparties in jurisdictions under FATF review remains a regulatory expectation;

• Organisations should begin preparing for future compliance with revised requirements on cross-border transaction transparency, as outlined in the update to Recommendation 16.

How Ancilia Can Help

At Ancilia, we closely monitor European and international regulatory updates, helping our clients to:

• Assess the impact of new risk jurisdictions on their business models;

• Update AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering / Combating the Financing of Terrorism) policies and procedures;

• Implement effective enhanced due diligence systems;

• Train internal teams to deal with these changes safely and efficiently.

In a regulatory landscape that is more dynamic and interconnected than ever before, staying informed is no longer enough. Being prepared isn't just an advantage… It's a necessity.

Contact us to find out how we can support your organisation in managing regulatory risk and implementing robust compliance practices.