Italy’s Bruna Szego to lead EU anti-money laundering authority

Brussels – The European Parliament has chosen Bruna Szego, head of anti-money laundering at the Bank of Italy since 2022, to lead AMLA, the new EU authority to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. At the end of joint hearings on the three candidates, the Civil Liberties (LIBE) and Economic (ECON) committees preferred the candidate from Milan to Germany’s Marcus Pleyer and the Dutch Jan Reinder de Carpentier.

Szego has worked at the Bank of Italy since 1990 and is considered a pioneer in Italy and Europe in the fight against money laundering. The European Parliament will send its opinion to the European Commission, which will make the official appointment to lead AMLA. At that point, Parliament will have to approve the appointment, and the EU Council adopt it.

The reply from outgoing EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni was immediate: “Congratulations and best wishes to Bruna Szego, chosen as head of Amla, the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority,” he wrote on his X account.

AMLA should begin its work in the first half of 2025. Rome was also in the running to host its headquarters, but in February, the European Parliament and member countries chose Frankfurt in a joint vote. Szego and the more than 400 employees of the EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority will operate in the city that was the birthplace of Goethe.

Congratulations and best wishes to Bruna #Szego, chosen as head of #AMLA, the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority- Paolo Gentiloni (@PaoloGentiloni) November 26, 2024