EU Delists UAE & Gibraltar from Money‑Laundering Grey List

Following a vote in the European Parliament, the EU will remove the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Gibraltar from its “grey” list of jurisdictions with inadequate anti‑money laundering (AML) controls. This decisive action aligns the EU with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which delisted the UAE and Gibraltar in 2024, and follows wider reforms across both territories .

Key Developments:

  • EU & FATF alignment: With both entities now in synch, this harmonization is expected to reduce duplicate scrutiny .
  • Enhanced reforms: The UAE and Gibraltar have implemented stricter laws, raised enforcement efforts, and boosted transparency as part of FATF action-plans and domestic oversight improvement .
  • Economic impact: Delisting will reduce transactional compliance costs, speed up EU‑UAE trade talks, and support smoother capital flows .
  • Political context: Gibraltar’s status was debated by Spanish MEPs, while the UAE’s removal was tied to assurances of continued vigilance. The Commission also agreed to reassess Russia’s listing by end‑2025 .
  • Next steps: The changes become effective once published in the EU’s Official Journal, anticipated in the coming weeks .

Why It Matters:
Reduced compliance red tape will help businesses in Dubai, Gibraltar, and the EU. For investors, this translates to smoother cross-border transactions and potentially more capital inflows. Politically, it builds momentum for both the UAE-EU free trade agreement and Gibraltar’s post-Brexit integration.

📌 Watch this space: The EU has pledged to evaluate Russia’s AML status by late 2025 — a decision that may reshape future grey-list updates .


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