Albania's Ministry of Finance announced that Finance Minister Petrit Malaj presented to Parliament, and Parliament approved, a bill amending the legal framework on the prevention of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The package is intended to align Albania’s regime with the latest international standards, including by bringing the financing of weapons of mass destruction within scope. Key changes include introducing a legal definition of weapons of mass destruction financing and strengthening risk-based obligations for reporting entities to identify, assess and understand risks across customers, products and services, geographies and distribution channels. The amendments also enhance internal controls and reporting related to proliferation financing, expand the ability to temporarily block or freeze transactions for up to 72 hours where there are grounded reasons linked to proliferation financing (including in an international cooperation context), and adopt a more proportionate approach for non-profit organisations by focusing enhanced vigilance on higher-risk entities. Institutionally, the role of the Coordination Committee against Money Laundering is expanded to cover proliferation financing and to deepen inter-agency cooperation via technical and operational working groups, while the National Risk Assessment process is formalised with periodic assessments and action plans and the Financial Intelligence Agency’s strategic analytical functions are more clearly defined. The Ministry linked the reforms to preparation for a Moneyval assessment expected to take place during 2026.
Ministry of Finance (Albania) 2026-04-09
Albania's Ministry of Finance secures parliamentary approval for AML and CFT law amendments adding proliferation financing and stronger risk based controls
Albania’s Ministry of Finance announced parliamentary approval of amendments to its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework to align with updated international standards, explicitly covering weapons of mass destruction financing. The reforms define WMD financing, strengthen risk-based obligations and internal controls for reporting entities, expand powers to block or freeze proliferation-linked transactions, and refine rules for non-profit organisations. They also extend the Coordination Committee’s mandate to proliferation financing, formalise the National Risk Assessment, and clarify the Financial Intelligence Agency’s strategic role, ahead of a 2026 Moneyval assessment.