The Fight Against Money Laundering Through Criminal Law in the European Union

Abstract

The difficulties that exist in the search for effective norms to combat money laundering are evident. In the European Union, different legal instruments have been developed following the recommendations of the United Nations, Council of Europe and the FATF. These efforts were able to determine instruments of a preventive nature and protection of the financial system and instruments related to the fight in the criminal field. However, while EU’s action in the financial-economic field has been intense, only recently have the instruments of a criminal nature been improved with Directive (EU) 2018/1673, which aims to achieve harmonization of the crime of money laundering. This article analyzes the provisions of the aforementioned Directive to improve the fight against money laundering from the criminal sphere in the EU Member States.