The European Commission has defended the existing EU anti-money laundering framework as sufficient to require credit institutions to document the origin of funds used in significant mortgage transactions by politically exposed persons (PEPs), while pointing to the future Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) as a tool to strengthen consistent supervision across the bloc. The answer, given by Commissioner Albuquerque on behalf of the Commission on 27 July 2026, responds to a parliamentary question from MEP Alvise Pérez (NI), who raised concerns about whether enhanced due diligence is effectively applied to domestic PEPs in the context of a Spanish investigation into former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and his inner circle.
The Commission's reply reiterates that Directive (EU) 2015/849 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 already oblige credit institutions to apply enhanced customer due diligence measures for PEPs, their family members and close associates, including taking reasonable measures to establish the source of wealth and funds. Compliance is the responsibility of obliged entities and is checked by supervisors, while suspicious transaction reporting is handled by financial intelligence units and supervisors. The Commission says it continues to monitor effective implementation of the framework.
On the role of the future AMLA, the Commission notes that the authority will directly supervise selected high-risk cross-border financial sector entities, coordinate the supervisory system, and support cooperation among supervisors and financial intelligence units, thereby strengthening consistent application of EU anti-money laundering rules. The answer contains no new legislative proposals or specific commitments to review the current framework, instead emphasising existing obligations and the upcoming institutional upgrade through AMLA.
The policy orientation is one of maintaining the current balance between EU-level rules and national implementation, with gradual strengthening through the new anti-money laundering package rather than immediate targeted measures for domestic PEPs. Institutional follow-up will likely focus on AMLA's operational setup and its capacity to ensure uniform supervision of credit institutions handling high-risk PEP-related transactions.