27 November 2025 — News
An Interview with AMLA’s Rikke-Louise Ørum Petersen
Following our recent stakeholder dialogue roundtable Effective by design: shaping the future of AML standards, Accountancy Europe is taking the AML ecosystem discussion forward.
The event brought together representatives from the accountancy profession, other non-financial sectors, the European Commission, and the new EU Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) for an open and constructive exchange on how future AML regulatory technical standards can be proportionate, usable, and truly tailored to non-financial professions.
We were pleased to welcome Rikke-Louise Ørum Petersen, AMLA Executive Board member, who contributed actively to the discussion. Following the roundtable, she kindly agreed to answer a few questions on AMLA’s role and on how the accountancy profession fits within the wider AML ecosystem.
AMLA is being established to strengthen the EU’s system for preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. It will work to ensure more consistent and effective implementation of AML/CFT rules across Member States and promote greater cooperation among supervisors.
For the accountancy profession, AMLA’s work is particularly relevant because accountants play a critical gatekeeping role in the financial system. By applying anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism measures in their day-to-day work, the accountancy profession can contribute directly to maintaining trust and transparency in the financial system. The accountancy profession will have to apply the new AML framework therefore the work of AMLA is very relevant to them.
From AMLA’s perspective, the accountancy profession plays a very important role in the anti-money laundering ecosystem. They contribute by supporting compliance, helping organizations maintain proper records and implement appropriate controls. Through audits and advisory work, they may notice patterns or structures that requires further attention. Accountants also help foster good practices within the organizations they work with.
With the new AML framework, accountants, auditors, and advisors, as obliged entities, need to adapt to the updated rules and the changes they bring. The current framework and the future rules drafted by AMLA will promote more unified and proportionate measures and the accountancy profession is well-positioned to continue its AML role, helping to identify risks and act as a trusted gatekeeper in maintaining financial integrity.
