From January 1, 2026, supervision of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (AML) will undergo radical changes. The Financial and Economic Integrity Service (DFEI) will then become the central point of contact for supervision, enforcement, and investigation in the area of integrity within the financial system. What does this change mean for you and your organization? In this blog, you can read the most important facts and consequences, taken directly from the official regulations of the Ministry of Finance.
What is DFEI and why this change?
DFEI is a new organizational unit within the Ministry of Finance. It was established in response to the desire to place non-fiscal tasks, such as the supervision of money laundering and terrorist financing, outside the Tax and Customs Administration. DFEI will take over the tasks of the AML Supervisory Authority and the Economic Enforcement Authority. This will create a specialized service that focuses entirely on preventing and combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and violations of sanctions, especially among non-financial and non-legal gatekeepers such as real estate agents, appraisers, domicile providers, and trust offices.
What will DFEI do?
DFEI will have three main departments:
- AML Supervision: Focused on supervision and enforcement at gatekeepers that fall under the AML.
- UBO and economic enforcement: Focus on transparency of ownership structures and enforcement of the UBO (Trust) register.
- Professional expertise, business operations, and strategy: Support and development of policy, processes, and strategy.
The tasks of DFEI are broad and far-reaching. They include:
- Supervision of compliance with the AML and related legislation.
- Enforcement in the event of violations, both administrative and criminal.
- Investigation of violations of administrative and registration obligations, such as the Trade Register Act.
- Handling of objections and appeals arising from its own supervision and enforcement.
What does this mean for you?
The arrival of DFEI means that supervision of AML compliance will be further tightened within the Netherlands. DFEI has opted for a risk-based approach: the aim is to create an environment in which unintentional violations are prevented and it becomes easier for institutions to comply with the rules. At the same time, DFEI will take strict action if institutions deliberately violate rules or commit fraud. This means that, as an organization which operates in the Netherlands, you must be able to demonstrate that your processes are in order, that you know your clients well, and that you report accurately and on time where necessary.
How can you prepare?
It is important to critically review your compliance processes and strengthen them where necessary. This includes updating your customer due diligence, properly recording ownership structures, and training employees. By investing in a reliable compliance approach now, you can avoid problems when supervision becomes more intensive from 2026 onwards.
At SCOPE FinTech Solutions, we support organizations in setting up their AML compliance efficiently and reliably. With our solutions, you can quickly and easily meet the latest requirements.
Would you like to know how our tools can help your organization?
Schedule an introductory meeting with our team today and discover how we can take your compliance to the next level.
