Weak control, institutional fragmentation, insufficient coordination..., a report by the European Court of Auditors details a list of breaches that would cause Europe to lose billions of euros every year.

Money laundering still allows criminals to take advantage of the free movement of capital and to distort internal market rules. Or even to finance terrorist activities. Even though the fight to curb money laundering is announced as a priority by its member states, the European Union is not managing to conduct it effectively enough. However, the report of the Luxembourg institution insists on what it considers to be the main current deficiency in Europe: the weakness of the response of the member countries, even though they exercise most of the responsibilities and that 75% of questionable transactions concern more than half of them.

The report of the European Court of Auditors should encourage the adoption of a new reform of European provisions, as called for in particular by Parliament. This revision, currently under discussion, would include a single supervisory body and a draft regulation, also unique. The Court is in fact suggesting that the Commission act by regulations, and no longer by directives.