Skip to content

Spain opens public consultation on AML regulation reform

Summary

Spain’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise has opened a public consultation on a draft Royal Decree to amend the AML regulation implementing Law 10/2010. The reform addresses evolving money laundering and terrorism financing risks, incorporates technological advances including crypto-assets, aligns with FATF standards and the EU AML package, and corrects practical shortcomings. The consultation is relevant for businesses and RegTech providers as it may affect compliance obligations and offers an opportunity to provide input before finalization.

21/01/2026

The Spanish Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise has opened a prior public consultation on a draft Royal Decree that will amend Royal Decree 304/2014, the regulation implementing Law 10/2010 on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing (AML/CFT).

The initiative reflects Spain’s intention to modernise its AML regulatory framework in response to evolving risks, technological developments, and new international and European requirements.

 

Key objectives of the reform

According to the Ministry, the draft amendment seeks to address several structural drivers:

  • Evolving money laundering and terrorist financing risks, including new typologies identified in recent years.

  • Technological innovation and new business models, with explicit reference to crypto-assets and digital activities.

  • Alignment with international standards, in particular the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

  • Consistency with the EU’s new anti-money-laundering package, which aims to strengthen and harmonise AML rules across Member States.

  • Correction of practical shortcomings identified during the application of the existing regulation.

Although the consultation does not yet include the final legislative text, it signals that Spain is preparing to recalibrate detailed AML obligations at regulatory level, potentially affecting areas such as risk assessments, customer due diligence, reporting obligations, and internal controls.

Tags