Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CTF)
Summary
CSSF approach with respect to AML/CTF
Within the framework of its statutory mission, the CSSF is in charge of ensuring that all the persons subject to its supervision, authorisation or registration comply with the professional AML/CTF obligations.
The CSSF ensures that professionals implement a risk-based approach in order to allocate the appropriate means and resources to the customers and products which represent higher risks.
Moreover, the CSSF ensures that persons maintaining relationships with organised crime, including, inter alia, those committing money laundering or terrorist financing offences, cannot take control, in any form whatsoever, over persons subject to its supervision.
Professionals are required to fully cooperate with the CSSF as well as the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) with respect to AML/CTF. The CSSF, in turn, cooperates closely with the FIU. These two authorities are authorised to exchange information necessary to perform their respective duties. Moreover, the CSSF can also exchange information with other AML/CTF competent authorities, on a national or on an international level.
The AML/CTF supervision (off-site and on-site supervision) by the CSSF is organised pursuant to the principles of a risk-based approach that takes into account the money laundering and terrorist financing risks to which the supervised entities and the sectors at large are exposed to.
Powers of the CSSF in the exercise of its duties with respect to AML/CTF
The CSSF has all the supervisory and investigatory powers provided for in the Law of 12 November 2004 on the fight against money laundering and terrorist financing (“AML/CTF Law”) and in various sectorial laws for the purpose of carrying out its duties. For instance, the CSSF is entitled to have access to any document it deems necessary and to obtain a copy thereof. It may also request information from any person subject to its supervision, notably by summoning this person or by carrying out on-site inspections.
Where a person subject to the AML/CTF supervision of the CSSF does not comply with the provisions relating to AML/CTF, the CSSF has a power of injunction against this person. If after expiry of the time limit set by the CSSF, the supervised person has not fixed the situation, the CSSF may follow up with an administrative sanction against this person.
Moreover, the CSSF has broad sanctioning powers. It may issue warnings, reprimands, administrative fines or occupational prohibitions against persons subject to its AML/CTF supervision. These sanctions will, generally, be made public by the CSSF.
Such administrative or prudential sanctions are without prejudice to the imposition of criminal sanctions (imprisonment and/or a fine) by criminal courts against professionals which deliberately violated the legal provisions which apply to them in this regard.
Financial sector professionals' obligations with respect to AML/CTF
Financial sector professionals shall, in any event, comply with the professional obligations arising from AML/CTF texts, and more specifically customer due diligence obligations, adequate internal management requirements and cooperation requirements with the authorities.
Furthermore, and where applicable, they must comply with the obligations arising from Regulation (EU) 2015/847 of 20 May 2015 on information accompanying transfers of funds and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1781/2006, applicable as from 26 June 2017. In particular, financial sector professionals must respond, without delay, to any request for information from the competent AML/CTF authorities and relating to information accompanying transfers of funds.
Please refer to our FAQs on AML/CFT and to the respective applicable texts for further information on this topic.
Expert Working Groups
Anti-Money Laundering Committee
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List
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Internal organisation
Expert Working Group Private Banking
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List
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Internal organisation
Expert Working Group AML OPC
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List
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Internal organisation
Documentation
Documentation
Laws, regulations and directives
Circulars
Other reference texts
Forms
Guidance
Publications
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Studies and reports
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12 August 2020 EBA consults on the use of RegTech solutions and ways to support the uptake of RegTech across the EUStudies and reports
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Studies and reports
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25 April 2020 EBA information on administrative sanctions or measures under Article 62 of Directive (EU) 2015/849 (AMLD4)Other guidance
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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24 July 2019 2019 Supranational Report of the European Commissionon money laundering and terrorist financing risksStudies and reports
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Studies and reports
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26 June 2017 2017 Supranational Report of the European Commissionon money laundering and terrorist financing risksStudies and reports
Press room
CSSF
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24 December 2020 Luxembourg – Monaco: Towards enhanced cooperation in the fight against international financial crime (only in French)Press release 20/29Press release
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Communiqué
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17 December 2020 EBA explains how it will use its new power to carry out risk assessments in the fight against money laundering and terrorist financingCommuniqué
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16 December 2020 Press release of the Ministry of Justice of 14 December 2020: Luxembourg updates its national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financingPress release 20/28Press release
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20 November 2020 Highlights of the CSSF’s 2020 AML/CFT for the collective investment sector conferenceCommuniqué
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Communiqué
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Communiqué
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Communiqué
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Communiqué
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4 May 2020 Presentation: AML/CFT supervision in the Collective Investment Sector during the Covid-19 situationCSSF Guidance
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9 April 2020 Communiqué on virtual assets, virtual asset service providers and the related registration processCommuniqué
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17 January 2020 The CSSF publishes Luxembourg’s first ML/FT risk analysis on the Collective Investment SectorCommuniqué
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Communiqué
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20 December 2019 The CSSF and the ABBL publish Luxembourg’s first ML/FT risk analysis of private bankingCommuniqué
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23 October 2019 CSSF-IOSCO joint Seminar/Workshop on AML/CFT supervision for the Securities SectorPress release 19/51Press release
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Communiqué
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Communiqué
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Press release
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Press release
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20 December 2017 Panama Papers: results of the CSSF’s analysis and subsequent enforcement proceduresPress release 17/44Press release
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Communiqué
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Press release
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20 January 2014 Publication by the Basel Committee of the new recommendations on the sound management of risks related to money laundering and financing of terrorismPress release 14/05Press release
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21 February 2012 FATF revision of the international standards on combating money laundering and financing of terrorism and of proliferation of weapons of mass destructionPress release 12/11Press release
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7 March 2011 Prevention, detection and treatment of possible suspicious assets held with financial institutionsPress relrease 11/08Press release
Government
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14 December 2020 Luxembourg updates its national risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing (only in French)Press release
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20 December 2018 Luxembourg finalises its first risk assessment of money laundering and terrorist financing (only in French)Communiqué
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Communiqué
FATF
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports
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Studies and reports