The European Commission on Thursday launched infringement proceedings against Lithuania and three other EU member states over the incorrect transposition of the bloc’s rules on combating money laundering into national law.
The Commission said Lithuania, Cyprus, Poland and Slovenia had failed to properly implement provisions of the EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which defines criminal offenses and penalties related to money laundering, facilitates police and judicial cooperation and aims to prevent criminals from exploiting differences between national legal systems.
The directive allows authorities to prosecute money laundering even without a prior conviction for the underlying criminal activity that generated the funds and without proving all details of that offense.
It also establishes that individuals can be held criminally responsible for laundering proceeds from their own criminal activities.
The rules set out circumstances in which tougher penalties can be applied, including cases where money laundering is carried out by a person or entity with specific professional obligations. They also clarify which member state has jurisdiction in cross-border cases.
The four countries now have two months to respond to the Commission and address the identified shortcomings. If the responses are deemed insufficient, the Commission may issue a reasoned opinion.
If a member state fails to ensure compliance with EU law, the Commission may decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
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