The European Union (EU) is weighing whether to add Russia to its “gray list” of countries with lax money laundering controls, as Brussels’ lawmakers aim to increase financial pressure on Moscow, the Financial Times reports.
“There is huge support for putting Russia on the list,” said Markus Ferber, a German MEP who coordinates economic affairs for the center-right European People’s party.
Inclusion on this list carries reputational damage and requires financial institutions to carry out extra due diligence when processing transactions involving entities or people from the listed territories, resulting in higher costs.
Even though Russia’s membership in the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was suspended, several countries would be expected to block any move to add it to the body’s own gray list.
But the final decision has not yet been made.
An earlier version of Brussels’ aforesaid list—seen by the Financial Times—mirrored the one last issued by FATF and planned to add Algeria, Angola, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, and Venezuela. Also, it planned to withdraw Barbados, Gibraltar, Jamaica, Panama, Senegal, Uganda, and the United Arab Emirates.

















