MEPs have voted to return to the EU Commission its blacklist
of countries deemed to be at risk of money laundering and terrorist financing. The list is too limited, and should
be expanded, e.g. to include territories that facilitate tax crimes, they said
before voting the resolution on Thursday 19/1/2017.
Judith Sargentini (Greens/EFA, NL) who prepared the
resolution and is a co-rapporteur on the
underlying legislation, said “the
strength of the vote reflects the strength of feeling in Parliament about the
inadequacy of this current list. We now hope that the Commission will be more ambitious in its revisions,
so as to create a blacklist which is fit-for-purpose.”
Krišjānis Karins (EPP, LV), another co-rapporteur on
the underlying legislation, abstained in the vote, saying “A country should be
placed on the ‘blacklist’ only when there is clear evidence of a systematic
threat of money laundering and terrorist financing. The Commission needs to have a straightforward
and transparent algorithm that can withstand public scrutiny.”
The Commission lists eleven countries, including
Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Syria, which it judges to be
deficient in countering money laundering and terrorist financing. People and
legal entities from blacklisted countries face tougher than usual checks when
doing business in the EU.
Following
the vote, an existing inventory of third countries thought to fall short in the
area of anti-money laundering and terrorism finance will remain in force while
the Commission considers any revisions. The
resolution was passed by 393 votes to 67 votes, with 210 abstentions. (europarl.europa.eu)
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