Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures upgrades Moldova’s FATF ratings and removes it from fifth-round follow-up and compliance enhancing procedures

The Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures (MONEYVAL) published a follow-up report on the Republic of Moldova, finding improved anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing compliance and upgrading three Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations from partially compliant to largely compliant. MONEYVAL also decided Moldova will no longer be subject to the fifth-round follow-up process and that compliance enhancing procedures (CEPs) will no longer apply. The upgraded ratings relate to customer due diligence measures applied by casinos, real estate agents and trust and company service providers, and to transparency and beneficial ownership of legal persons and legal arrangements. The report notes progress on FATF recommendations covering non-profit organisations and virtual asset service providers, but these remain rated partially compliant. Overall, Moldova is rated compliant on nine of the 40 FATF recommendations, largely compliant on 28, and partially compliant on three, with none assessed as non-compliant. CEPs were previously applied in May 2024, but amendments to the CEP criteria made in December 2024 meant Moldova no longer met the revised threshold for CEPs. MONEYVAL’s onsite visit for Moldova’s sixth-round mutual evaluation is scheduled for April 2028.