European Commission 17 June 2026, COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT EVALUATION Directive (EU) 2018/1673 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on combating money laundering by criminal law

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This Commission Staff Working Document evaluates Directive (EU) 2018/1673 on combating money laundering by criminal law, covering the period 2018–2025, pursuant to the reporting obligation under Article 14(2) of the Directive. The evaluation finds the Directive broadly effective in harmonising money laundering offences—including stand-alone money laundering and self-laundering—and related penalties across the 25 bound Member States, while identifying persistent divergences in the interpretation of the standard of proof for predicate offences, the definition of 'property,' and sanctions applicable to legal persons as compared to more recent EU criminal law instruments. Concerns regarding compatibility with fundamental rights, particularly the presumption of innocence, the ne bis in idem principle, and proportionality of penalties, were raised principally by civil society and academic stakeholders, while Member State authorities and EU bodies generally reported no significant fundamental rights issues or insufficient data to draw firm conclusions.AI