In the fight against international money laundering is a setback threatens Several EU States want to prevent the project at the last Minute. For the resistance there are a variety of reasons – but he could stop at the end of the black list. Some States view basic legal problems that other track is open to political and economic interests.
it seemed almost certain that the list comes. The EU Commission had Laundry in the middle of February, 23 countries to money-high-risk States. The Council of the member countries can stop this, only with a qualified majority by 16 EU States with a minimum of 65 percent of the EU population. The Commission was confident that this would not succeed, especially since the countries concerned would then have to present the previously behind-the-Scenes collected resistance open.
But the opponents are apparently willing to risk that – even though it threatens, in particular, for the UK and France, embarrassing. They interfere mainly due to the fact that the Commission of Saudi-Arabia on the Black list.
the British and the French, rumor has it under EU diplomats, want to protect, above all, their extensive Oil and arms deals with Saudi Arabia. The importance of this is just the British, has recently made foreign Minister, Jeremy Hunt himself clear when he called on the Federal government in a strongly worded letter, finally its restraint in arms exports to Saudi Arabia. Hunt put even Berlin’s loyalty to the Alliance in question.
France Also exported strong weapons to Saudi Arabia. Just this week, companies in both countries have announced a large-scale project to frigates and submarines in Saudi build Arabia.
on top of that, the American mixed government in the dispute over the money, a Laundry list. There is “massive Lobbying” from Washington, complained one EU Diplomat. The US government try to prevent currently being also with the help of threats, the Black list. Reason should Laundry be concerns, however, that the EU wants with their own methods against money laundering – instead of using the already existing list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), founded in 1989, the international Anti-money-Organisation. The Americans, and tells her in Brussels, did not want European Anti-money laundering measures, to which they had no direct influence.
The methodology of the Commission, but also in some EU countries for resistance, including the Netherlands and Germany. This camp criticizes allegedly poor methodology of the list.
You have no bigger Problem to put Saudi Arabia on the list. However, when applying the necessary criteria consistently, one would have to Serbia in addition to Saudi Arabia and also other countries on the list, for example. But the Commission – to the talks with Belgrade over a jeopardize EU accession to the reproach of the critics.
Even supporters of the Black list show irritated. The Commission was never published as to exactly how the 23 countries landed on the list, writes about the Green MEP Sven Giegold. He demanded, therefore, a request for access to the relevant documents. The Commission holds the opposite, that they have published the methodology a long time ago.
“This list is quite political,” says an EU Diplomat. “If you want to, that they would hold up in court, you should be aware of its legal arguments.” In the Council the member countries, a majority, to delay the list, at least in the picture.
That could mean your final. Because the European Parliament, to adopt the list, also, meets in mid-April for the last Time, marriage in may will be elected. What list happened afterwards with the money laundering, no one knows.