Aspects Regarding the European Institutional Negotiations in the Matter of the Fight Against Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Activities and the Contextual Connection with the “Panama Papers” Scandal

Abstract

On 15 December 2017, the negotiations on the 4th Directive in the matter of the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing were complete. The resulting compromise text is worth analysing and approached from both the theoretical but especially the practical enforcement viewpoint, depending on each involved operator category. Initially regarded more as a tentative European pretence, the preoccupation of the European lawmaker in the matter of the fight against money laundering and the terrorism financing activity has become a community priority that found its place amongst the normative instruments applicable within each EU community member state. Within this context, the negotiations regarding the 4th directive in the matter arise a justified and concrete interest. This article, which approaches the subject from the descriptive perspective, sets out to highlight the aspects that need to be approached and analysed from the viewpoint of the legal professions in general, but especially from the viewpoint of the notarial activity in particular. Within this topic, this paper also approaches the community concerns generated by the so-called ―Panama papers‖ scandal, which is considered by the European lawmaker to have shattered citizens’ faith in the European financial and fiscal systems.