Ihor Cherkaskyi: The MONEYVAL Council of Europe Committee approved the first Follow-Up Report of Ukraine
Within the framework of the 58th Plenary Meeting of the Council of Europe Experts Committee on the Evaluation of Measures against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (MONEYVAL), which took place from 15 to 19 July, 2019 in Strasbourg (French Republic), the delegation of Ukraine under the chairmanship of the SFMS has provided information on the current situation in the area of combating money laundering and terrorist financing in Ukraine.
The participants of the Plenary Meeting were informed about the measures that were and continues to be taken by Ukraine to improve the AML/CFT system, in particular:
progress concerning measures on combating corruption (Creation of the Anti-Corruption Court);
creation and functioning of new state authorities (Asset Recovery and Management Agency, and also the State Bureau of Investigations);
legislative initiatives, etc.
The key issue for Ukraine in this meeting was the protection of the first Follow-up Report following the results of the fifth round of mutual evaluation of Ukraine and its approval by the MONEYVAL Committee.
The work on the preparation of this Report was lasted more than a year and finished with its approval on July 18, 2019 at the MONEYVAL Committee Plenary Session.
The approval of the first Follow-Up Report following the results of the fifth round of mutual evaluation of Ukraine is a demonstration of the consistent steps taken by our state towards to the increasing the effectiveness of the national anti-money laundering and terrorist financing system.
The next, second Follow-Up Report in AML/CFT sphere will be considered in 2020.
It should be noted that the key element of the demonstration of Ukraine's further progress is the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of amendments to legislation in the financial monitoring area, which will implement the 4th EU Directive on combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and also the recommendations of the MONEYVAL Committee.
It is expected that the first Follow-Up Report will be published by the MONEYVAL Committee after its analysis on quality and consistency in accordance with approved procedures.
Reference:
From March 23, 2017 to April 8, 2017, in Ukraine was an on-site mission of the MONEYVAL Committee, within the framework of the 5th round of the evaluation of national system of counteraction to laundering (legalization) of proceeds from crime, financing of terrorism and financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
According to the results of the international audit of Ukraine in this area, the relevant report was approved and published (https://rm.coe.int/fifth-round-mutual-evaluation-report-on-ukraine/1680782396).
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