French Bar Association raises concerns over AMLA's impact

01/10/2026

The French National Bar Council (Conseil National des Barreaux, CNB) has raised concerns about the potential impact of the European anti-money laundering framework on lawyers' professional secrecy. The CNB expressed reservations about the work of the AMLA, particularly the development of technical standards under the EU AML package.

Concerns about the application of AML rules to lawyers

The CNB argues that certain technical standards currently being developed by AMLA may not adequately reflect the specific characteristics of the legal profession. The standards are intended to provide further detail on several aspects of the EU AML framework, including customer due diligence, the identification of business relationships and occasional transactions, risk assessment methodologies, administrative sanctions and the reporting of suspicious transactions.

According to the CNB, there is a risk that requirements designed primarily with the financial sector in mind could be applied to lawyers without sufficient consideration of their professional obligations and the fundamental principle of professional secrecy. The organisation also questions the consultation process, citing tight deadlines, the use of English-only draft documents and concerns about transparency.

Professional secrecy at the centre of the debate

A particular concern relates to the scope of professional secrecy under the future European AML/CFT framework. The CNB refers to information suggesting that an internal AMLA document may propose a narrower interpretation of the protection afforded to professional secrecy than the protection recognised under French professional rules.

The CNB considers that professional secrecy is a fundamental principle of the legal profession and should not be restricted beyond the exceptions expressly established by law. It has called for the publication of the internal document and indicated that it will continue to engage with AMLA's consultation processes. The CNB has also reserved the right to consider legal action against standards that it believes could undermine professional secrecy, the independence of lawyers or the self-regulation of the profession.

A wider European discussion

The debate highlights an important challenge in the implementation of the new EU AML framework: ensuring consistent anti-money laundering standards while respecting the specific legal and professional obligations of different sectors.

For law firms across Europe, the development of AMLA's technical standards will therefore be worth monitoring closely. The final standards will help determine how the new European requirements are translated into supervisory practice, including for the legal profession.