On 29 July 2026, the European Commission published a report on the implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/1153, which facilitates the use of financial and other information for criminal investigations. The report finds that 26 Member States (all except Denmark) have transposed the directive, but identifies specific compliance gaps in data security, logging, and information-sharing rules, and assesses that extending the definition of financial information may be needed.
The directive, which entered into force on 31 July 2019, required Member States to comply by 1 August 2021. All 26 Member States correctly designated competent authorities under Article 3 and enabled Financial Intelligence Units to exchange information under Articles 7-10. However, several Member States failed to transpose Article 5 requirements on staff confidentiality, integrity, and data security measures. In two Member States, logs are kept by accessing authorities instead of registry operators; some logs lack required content or have retention periods other than five years. One Member State uses general cooperation provisions, and another limits Financial Intelligence Unit responses to judicial authorities only. Two Member States transposed Article 10 without explicit purpose limitation or prior consent rules.
The report notes that the 2024 Sixth Anti-Money Laundering package—comprising a new AML Directive, Regulation, and Authority—and Directive 2024/1260 on asset recovery now apply. The directive was amended in 2024 with a transposition deadline of 10 July 2027. The assessment shows challenges in obtaining financial information but also improvements and best practices. The Commission indicates that extending the definition of financial information remains an option to further enhance cross-border access for law enforcement.
The report impacts several stakeholders. EU law enforcement and judicial authorities stand to benefit from more streamlined access to financial data, potentially improving investigation efficiency. Financial institutions and registry operators face continued compliance obligations, including data security and logging requirements, with possible future scope expansion. National authorities must address the identified gaps, particularly on staff confidentiality and log retention, to avoid infringement procedures. EU taxpayers may see improved effectiveness in combating financial crime, though at the cost of additional administrative burdens on businesses and public bodies. The European Parliament and Council will now consider the report, which may inform further legislative action on the definition of financial information.