6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (6AMLD) definition and meaning | AML glossary
6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (6AMLD) definition: What it means in AML compliance.
The Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (more commonly known as 6AMLD) was adopted by the European Union to strengthen the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing. It’s a legal instrument that puts serious weight behind enforcement, pushing member states to standardise the definition of money laundering across borders and tighten up criminal accountability.
At its core, 6AMLD builds on the work of previous directives but goes a step further. It defines a set of 22 predicate offences that must be criminalised in national law. These offences range from environmental crime to cyber crime – areas where financial systems are increasingly being misused. The point here is not just to clean up money once it’s in the system but to clamp down on the crimes that generate it in the first place.
What really stands out in 6AMLD is the emphasis on criminal liability, not just for individuals but for companies. Under the directive, legal persons – such as businesses – can now be held accountable if they fail to prevent money laundering within their organisation. It’s no longer acceptable to pass the buck or claim ignorance if misconduct happens under your roof.
The directive also increases the minimum penalties for money laundering to four years’ imprisonment, upping the stakes across all member states. And it introduces clearer rules on jurisdiction, which helps streamline prosecutions even when the offence touches multiple countries. The idea is to close the gaps that criminals exploit, both legal and geographic.
Although the UK formally left the EU before 6AMLD came into force in December 2020, many of its principles are mirrored in UK law. In fact, UK regulators have historically taken a more aggressive approach to corporate criminal liability than some EU peers. So while 6AMLD might not apply directly, its influence is still felt, especially for firms operating across borders or under dual regulatory obligations.
What impact does the 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (6AMLD) have on compliance teams?
If you’re managing AML compliance in a UK-regulated business, there are direct takeaways from 6AMLD that should shape how you build and adjust your compliance strategy. Even without formal adoption in the UK, the direction of travel is clear and regulators are paying attention.
One of the clearest signals from 6AMLD is that passive policies aren’t enough. A written policy in a drawer doesn’t cut it if enforcement later reveals weak oversight or poor implementation. You need to be actively testing, reviewing, and adjusting your controls in real time, not just once a year or when your audit’s due.
The expanded list of predicate offences is also something to factor into your risk assessments. Crimes like environmental breaches or cyber fraud may not have featured heavily in your previous models. But with regulators zeroing in on these areas, you’ll want to update your processes, tune your monitoring systems, and train your teams accordingly.
The directive also gives weight to the personal liability of compliance leaders and company officers. That changes the tone of internal accountability. As such, you’ve got to make sure escalation procedures are working, red flags aren’t being dismissed, and decision-making is properly documented. When the FCA comes knocking, the paper trail matters just as much as the outcome.
Perhaps most significantly, the concept of “aiding and abetting” comes into sharper focus under 6AMLD. It’s not just those directly laundering money who are at risk, but anyone who facilitates it – knowingly or through reckless oversight. That means the bar is higher for due diligence, third-party monitoring, and ongoing client reviews. You need to be confident that your onboarding is actually filtering out bad actors.
If your business operates across EU borders or handles high-risk transactions involving EU entities, don’t treat 6AMLD as a European issue. It’s a benchmark. Regulators often collaborate across borders, and your compliance gaps are unlikely to stay hidden for long.
Where are the weak points in your risk assessments? Are all 22 predicate offences covered in your current policies? Are your investigations aligned with potential cross-border enforcement? Review your training content. Test your escalation paths. Speak plainly to senior management about where gaps still exist.
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