The issue of including Russia in it was also discussed by EU deputies, but was postponed until the end of the year, writes the Financial Times
Overview of the EU’s 2025 Grey List Updates
The European Parliament has approved an updated list of jurisdictions with a high risk of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Countries Added to the EU Money Laundering Grey List 2025
It has been supplemented with:
- Algeria,
- Angola,
- Cote d’Ivoire,
- Kenya,
- Laos,
- Lebanon,
- Monaco,
- Namibia,
- Nepal and Venezuela.
Nations Removed from the EU List in 2025
Barbados, Gibraltar, Jamaica, Panama, the Philippines, Senegal, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates have been excluded from the list.follows from the official press release of the European Parliament.
The update to the list was proposed by the European Commission and adopted without objection – none of the resolutions to reject it received a majority of votes. The excluded countries will be officially removed from the list after the publication of the relevant document in the Official Journal of the EU.
Why the UAE Was Removed from the EU Money Laundering Grey List
According to the Financial Times (FT), the question of removing the UAE from the list was considered including in the context of trade negotiations between Abu Dhabi and Brussels. The Emirates insisted on lifting the restrictions, and at the request of the European Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič, members of the Social Democratic Group supported the initiative. The UAE authorities expressed their readiness to continue cooperation with the EU on issues of combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
Controversy Over Gibraltar’s Removal
Gibraltar’s exclusion, by contrast, has drawn criticism from Spanish MEPs, as Madrid disputes British sovereignty over the territory. The parliament rejected a similar proposal in 2023, citing concerns about AML standards in the UAE and Gibraltar. Those concerns were raised again this year, but did not prevent the vote.
Russia’s Potential Inclusion Postponed Until Late 2025
Meanwhile, according to those present at last week’s hearing, most groups in parliament supported Russia’s inclusion on the “grey list”, the FT’s sources said. However, at the last minute, the European Commission promised to review Russia’s status by the end of this year.
Why Russia Was Not Yet Added to the EU Money Laundering Grey List 2025
This allowed support among MPs to maintain the current list of countries to be excluded.
EU vs FATF: Alignment and Divergence in Grey Listing
The EU traditionally focuses on the list of the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), an international body that oversees AML/CFT standards, the newspaper recalls. Russia’s membership in the FATF was suspended in 2023.
After the armed conflict in Ukraine began, many wealthy Russians flocked to the UAE, which forced banks to tighten their checks on Russian citizens, including because the country was doing everything it could to achieved exclusion from the “grey list” it was placed on in March 2022. The country was desperate to get rid of the increased scrutiny of its operations and wash away the “stain” on its financial reputation. According to one version, this is the reason why the UAE also refused helping the crypto exchange Binance, which had fallen into disgrace in the United States, by refusing to issue it a full license to operate in the country.
FATF excluded the country from the “grey list” in February 2024. As the organization noted, the removal of the UAE from the “grey list” does not mean that the country has achieved a “perfect system.” However, the group positively assesses the measures already taken and the “strong political determination of the UAE to maintain the substantial pace and progress of improvements,” FATF President Raja Kumar said at a press conference. In particular, the organization believes that the country has managed to improve AML/CFT compliance by high-risk reporting entities. In addition, the Emirates have become more thorough in monitoring the implementation of financial sanctions.
