A new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority
A new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority

Remarks by Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis at the press conference on the Anti-money laundering package

European Commission Speech Brussels, 20 Jul 2021 

Ladies and gentlemen,

Financial crime generates billions of euros in dirty money every year. At any one time, we know that criminals are filtering at least some of their proceeds through the EU financial system.

Experts estimate that around 1% of the EU’s annual GDP is linked to suspect financial activity. While the scale of laundering is difficult to assess, we are talking about many billions of euros in dirty money that is highly mobile and often invisible.

Laundering money is an offence in its own right.

But it is also closely linked to other forms of serious and organised crime as well as the financing of terrorism.

The EU has worked on anti-money laundering – or AML – over many years, with the first AML Directive issued thirty years ago.

We have come a long way since. As criminals have become more imaginative, our laws have had to keep up with this.

However, despite extensive international cooperation and increasingly sophisticated EU legislation, money laundering remains a serious problem.

That became very clear after a major money-laundering scandal hit multiple banks across Europe in 2019.

Our AML laws are now among the toughest in the world, but still not enforced equally across the board. And there are still loopholes in our financial system that we need to close.

We also need to coordinate better between EU countries to fight cross-border financial crime.

All in all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link – and criminals will move quickly to exploit any weakness they can find.

With today’s package, we are following up on the AML action plan we presented last year.  

First, we intend to create a new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority – or AMLA.

It will strengthen the supervision of anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism in all EU countries.

AMLA will not replace national authorities but coordinate them to make sure that EU rules are enforced correctly and consistently.

It will directly supervise only some of the most risky financial institutions which operate across multiple EU countries or which need action to deal with immediate threats.

Second, we will devise a single rulebook to clarify, strengthen and align AML obligations across all EU countries.

In a sense, this is similar to what we did for banks after the 2008 financial crisis: creating single rulebooks and an EU supervisor.

We will also propose a ceiling of €10,000 for large transactions in cash.

Then, I mentioned our laws having to keep up with time and technological development. In the case of crypto-assets, this has become urgent. Crypto-assets are increasingly used for money laundering and other criminal purposes.

We will now bring crypto-assets fully within the scope of EU AML rules. All transfers of crypto-assets must be accompanied by the details of sender and beneficiary.

This already applies for real money transfers. 

Lastly – the international dimension.

Money laundering does not stop at the EU’s borders.

It is a global challenge that demands a global response.

We must make sure that illicit money flows from outside the EU do not threaten our financial system.

Our approach here should reflect the actual risks involved. This is why we are taking a new differentiated approach regarding non-EU countries: a black list and a grey list.

We will list countries either based on the assessment of the Financial Action Task Force, the international watchdog – or, if the Commission finds that a country poses a threat to the EU’s financial system, then the Commission will do it autonomously.

Mairead will present this in greater depth.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have heard the wake-up calls, taken note and taken action.

It is our responsibility to provide a safe and inclusive Europe where dirty money has no place to hide. Thank you and now over to Mairead.

Speech by President von der Leyen at the Ocean Race Summit Europe
Speech by President von der Leyen at the Ocean Race Summit Europe

Dear Grace,

Chère Catherine,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Biodiversity loss is one of the greatest threats to our planet and to our health. Our seas and oceans are a particular concern. They are our most natural ally in the fight against climate change. And they are the first to feel its effects.

Nowhere is that more important than in the rich and vulnerable marine life of the Southern Ocean. We can visibly see Antarctic ice melting at an ever faster rate. Which is no surprise. Temperatures have reached as high as 20 degrees Celsius. But this is not just about the Antarctic. It is about the effect it will have on oceans and climate around the world.

This is why the EU and its Member States are proposing to establish two new large-scale Marine Protected Areas. One in East Antarctica and another in the Weddell Sea. We are doing this together with a number of like-minded partners. If approved, these new zones would protect an area of over 3 million square kilometres. This would be a great achievement.

Of course, we know that it will not be easy to reach an international consensus. We still have particular challenges with some partner countries. But we are willing to fight hard. We know it can be done. As we saw five years ago with the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area. It took courage, leadership and political will to push for the greater good. But it was worth any effort.

Antarctica is a natural treasure that belongs to all humanity. We have to protect this common good. And this task is a common duty as well. And that is what the Antarctic Treaty has always been about. On the 60th anniversary of the Treaty I am hopeful that the stars will align for us to reach an agreement. Europe will mobilise all its diplomatic strength to get there.

I thank the European Parliament for its continued and determined support. Our joint efforts are bearing fruit. We saw it in the Ministerial meeting hosted by Commissioner Sinkevičius in April.

The US and others stepped in to join our proposal. Together we will fight for the protection of the Southern Ocean. Of course, this mission is also part of a bigger picture. We are working towards global commitments to protect 30% of our land and sea.

This is a goal for the Biodiversity COP15 in China. And we are aiming to increase climate ambitions at COP26 in Glasgow. The oceans are essential for both.

We are determined to turn words into action. And reaching an agreement on concrete measures to protect our Southern Ocean would be a very powerful message. I count on your continued support and you can count on mine.

Thank you.

Remarks by Vice-President Schinas at the press conference on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
Remarks by Vice-President Schinas at the press conference on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

European Commission Speech Brussels, 03 Feb 2021 Remarks by Vice-President Schinas at the press conference on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan

Ladies and gentlemen,

At the start of the Commission’s mandate, we committed to propose a European Beating Cancer Plan. Today, we are honouring this commitment, which is needed more than ever.

2020 will be remembered primarily for COVID-19 patients and victims. But, the pandemic has also had a severe impact on cancer prevention and care across the EU; it has disrupted diagnosis and treatment, which foreshadows a worrying increase of cancer cases in the future.

One year ago, on 4 February 2020, the President, Stella and I participated in an event marking World Cancer Day in the European Parliament. At that moment, we launched a broad consultation on the Plan, to reach all those who have something to say. This process was abruptly impacted by the outbreak of the pandemic, but our political will to deliver was not. During this challenging period, the Commission engaged actively with stakeholders in the cancer field. We have received around 2,400 written contributions.

One year later, the Plan has shaped up. It is the first time, since the 90s, that Europe comes with a framework for cancer and this time we do it in an inclusive and overarching way, addressing cancer from all its angles, giving everyone concerned a stake in its success and, focusing on patients’ needs. 

Ιt is an anthropocentric Plan, above all. And it is definitely not a reheated soup.

The European Beating Cancer Plan has four pillars, each one looking at every key stage of the disease: prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.

Moreover, we have built the Plan on a number of premises, which shall ensure its success:

First, is that everybody matters. This means that the chances of surviving cancer should be the same regardless of which corner of Europe we are and which age we have. There should be no first and second class cancer patients. This explains the focus on inequalities and children, both placed under the spotlight.

Second, is that innovation will drive change. We will maximise research, data and new technologies to improve diagnosis, find promising therapies, and foster the potential of personalised medicine through tailor made strategies.

Third, is the focus on delivery. The Plan sets concrete targets that we want to achieve, such as the reduction of tobacco and harmful alcohol consumption, or an exponential increase of screening and vaccination. It also identifies 10 flagship initiatives focusing on added-value and an impressive number of accompanying actions to underpin its objectives. And, we will set up an Implementation group with stakeholders to overview and secure progress. All this is new.

Let me give you a few examples.

Still this year we will create a Knowledge Centre on Cancer to facilitate the coordination of scientific and technical cancer-related initiatives at EU level.

In 2022, we will launch a European Cancer Imaging Initiative to support the development of new computer-aided tools to improve personalised medicine and innovative solutions.

By 2025, we will develop a new EU Cancer Screening Scheme to ensure that 90% of the target population is offered breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening.

This is just to name a few. Stella will go into more detail on the various actions.

Fourth, we are committing funding. As we know, policies can only be effective if appropriate funding is attached to them. We are announcing an ambitious amount of 4 billion EUR to support the implementation of the Plan, which is an unprecedented amount to support action on cancer.

Fifth, this Plan is about health but beyond health policy. To beat cancer, we need to tackle cancer drivers in employment, energy, education, marketing, agriculture, environment, climate, transport, social policy, equality, taxation; in our towns, cities but also rural communities.

The Plan is based on a “health in all policies” approach, pooling all strings together under a common goal, beating cancer.

The initiative we are adopting today will open a new era in cancer prevention and care. The political momentum to build a strong European Health Union is there; and the cancer plan is part of these efforts. The pandemic has put the protection of health on the stage; and the experience in vaccines has clearly shown us that it is possible to make unprecedented progress: it requires the unique convening power of the EU, fixing goals, setting deadlines, committing the necessary funding and connecting the main actors through effective partnerships. Applying this approach to cancer, as the Plan suggests, will deliver effective results too.

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown us that working as a team and combining efforts at national and EU level is key to deliver a more effective and more equal response to cancer.

Most importantly of all, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan focuses on the interests and well-being of patients, their families and the wider population.

We believe that Europe can collectively do more to fight cancer. In a strong European Health Union, cancer needs to become a shared political, operational and scientific priority.

Cancer care is no longer the responsibility of the health sector alone. The success of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan requires engagement and buy-in from a wide range of sectors and stakeholders, a whole-of-society effort.

Our unity will be our strength, as the past year has very clearly shown.

Thank you.