Government resubmits anti-money laundering bill for approval

The Government of Kosovo has again approved the draft law amending and supplementing the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism.

At a government meeting, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the changes aim to bring Kosovo’s legal framework further into line with international and European Union standards.

According to Kurti, the bill would align domestic legislation on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the European Union. He said the changes would strengthen preventive measures, transparency, the powers of institutions and international cooperation. The initiative also aims to meet requirements related to the Central Bank of Kosovo’s progress toward membership in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) and to support European integration.

Finance Minister Hekuran Murati said the bill is the final legal step Kosovo needs to meet the criteria for SEPA membership.

Murati explained that, once the Assembly approves it, all the conditions for SEPA membership would be met, paving the way for lower fees on international transfers. He said businesses and Kosovans abroad who send remittances to Kosovo would save 58 million euros a year.

The minister said the government is considering the bill for the third time. The two previous attempts did not result in it entering into force.

He recalled that the Assembly had approved the bill on the first occasion, but the Constitutional Court struck it down on procedural grounds related to its approval at a session held in late 2024. On the second attempt, during this year and the Assembly’s previous term, the bill passed its first reading, but the second reading was not completed because the Assembly was dissolved.

Following its latest approval by the government, the bill has again been sent for parliamentary consideration. Murati expressed hope that the Assembly would approve it this time, enabling citizens to benefit from lower international transfer costs.

Approval of the bill by the Assembly is expected to be the next step toward meeting the requirements for Kosovo’s SEPA membership.