The 27th edition of the AML/CFT Diploma program at the Italian School of Anti-Money Laundering & Compliance recently opened via livestream. A roundtable discussion, "From the Pandora Papers to the Sixth Directive: How the World of Anti-Money Laundering is Changing Domestically and Internationally," was organized for the occasion. The panel, opened by Sergio Silvestri, Dean of the European School of Banking Management, and moderated by Felice Manti, editor-in-chief of "Il Giornale," included speakers including Sergio Salerno, Head of AML at Across Group, Giuseppe Miceli (Public Administration), Fabrizio Vedana, Director of Across Family Advisors, Massimo Ferracci – International expert CRA & BRA - OFAC Regulations, and Isabella Fontana, Head of the Italian FATF/GAFI Delegation and Director of the Office for International Relations AML/CFT at the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. The Pandora Papers and global regulation were the focus of Salerno's speech, Miceli focused on crypto-assets and anti-money laundering aspects, Vedana spoke about adequate verification and identification of the beneficial owner in light of regulatory changes, Ferracci on NFTs and new frontiers of digital money and Fontana illustrated the recent EU AML package, analyzing the VI Directive and the steps towards the establishment of the AMLA.

All the speakers emphasized the crucial role that training plays at all levels in combating money laundering. Dr. Fontana's closing remarks were particularly significant in this regard: "Training is becoming an increasingly central issue for the FATF," she said, "not only for the supervisory authority, but also for those responsible for preparing a country's international rating.

The FATF is soft law, but it eventually becomes binding when the country being assessed achieves an unsatisfactory result, ending up on a gray list that is then brought to the attention of financial intermediaries around the world.
Training as prevention is very important; in fact, it is the first form of prevention ever.”