20 Amendments of Laura FERRARA related to 2021/0250(COD)
Amendment 260 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The accuracy of data included in the beneficial ownership registers is fundamental for all of the relevant authorities and other persons allowed access to that data, and to make valid, lawful decisions based on that data. Therefore, where sufficient reasons arise, after careful analysis by the registrars, to doubt the accuracy of the beneficial ownership information held by the registers, legal entities and legal arrangements should be required to provide additional information on a risk-sensitive basis. In addition, it is important that Member States entrust the entity in charge of managing the registers with sufficient powersthe obligation to verify beneficial ownership and the veracity of information provided to it, and to report any suspicion to their FIU. Such powThe powers of entities in charge of managing the registers should extend to the conduct of inspections at the premises of the legal entities.
Amendment 270 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Public access to beneficial ownership information can allow greater scrutiny of information by civil society, including by the press or civil society organisations, and contributes to preserving trust in the integrity of the financial system. It can contribute to combating the misuse of corporate and other legal entities and legal arrangements for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing, both by helping investigations and through reputational effects, given that anyone who could enter into a business relationship is aware of the identity of the beneficial owners. It may also facilitate the timely and efficient availability of information for obliged entities as well as authorities of third countries involved in combating such offences. The access to that information would also help investigations on money laundering, associated predicate offences and terrorist financing. Therefore, Member States need to provide free access to the public in a readily usable, machine- readable format, to the beneficial ownership registers for companies, trusts, and other legal arrangements.
Amendment 274 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) Confidence in financial markets from investors and the general public depends in large part on the existence of an accurate disclosure regime that provides transparency in the beneficial ownership and control structures of corporate and other legal entities as well as certain types of trusts and similar legal arrangements. Member States should therefore allow access to beneficial ownership information in a sufficiently coherent and coordinated way, by establishing confidence rules of access by the public, so that third parties are able to ascertain, throughout the Union, who are the beneficial owners of corporate and other legal entities as well as, provided that there is a legitimate interest, of certain types of trusts and similar legal arrangements.
Amendment 422 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
(ba) Identify the typical ownership and control structure of local legal persons, considering, at least: the number of layers, the type of legal vehicle in each layer (e.g., company, trust, partnership, etc.), the nationality of layers, the number of legal owners and beneficial owners and their nationality and residence;
Amendment 446 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) data measuring the reporting, investigation and judicial phases of the national AML/CFT regime, including the number ofand value of transactions involved in suspicious transaction reports made to the FIU, the follow-up given to those reports, the information on cross- border physical transfers of cash submitted to the FIU in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1672 together with the follow-up given to the information submitted and, on an annual basis, the number of cases investigated, the number of persons prosecuted, the number of persons convicted for money laundering or terrorist financing offences, the types of predicate offences identified in accordance with Article 2 of Directive (EU) 2018/1673 of the European Parliament and of the Council45 where such information is available, and the value in euro of property that has been frozen, seized or confiscated; _________________ 45 Directive (EU) 2018/1673 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on combating money laundering by criminal law (OJ L 284, 12.11.2018, p. 22).
Amendment 455 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – point h a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – point h a (new)
(ha) Number of discrepancies reported to the Central Register pursuant to Article 10, including measures or sanctions imposed by the entity in charge of the central register pursuant to Article 10 (9).
Amendment 456 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 9 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. Member States shall ensure that the statistics referred to in paragraph 2 are collected and transmitted to the Commission on an annual basis. The statistics referred to in paragraph 2, points (a), (c), (d) and (f), shall also be transmitted to AMLA.
Amendment 472 #
Amendment 475 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 3
Article 10 – paragraph 3
Amendment 488 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission is empowered to adopt, by means of implementing acts, the format for the submission of beneficial ownership information to the central register. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 54(2). By [1 year after the date of transposition of this Directive] the Commission shall adopt an implementing act.
Amendment 495 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 5 – point a
Article 10 – paragraph 5 – point a
Amendment 569 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) in case of express trusts or similar legal arrangements, the name, the month and year of birth and the country of residence and nationality of the beneficial owner as well as the nature and extent of the beneficial interest held, provided that a legitimate interest can be demonstrated.
Amendment 572 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Amendment 610 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) the common criteria according to which beneficial ownership information is available through the system of interconnection of registers, depending on the level of access granted by Member States;
Amendment 616 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point e
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) the technical modalities to implement the different types of access to information on beneficial ownership in accordance with Articles 11 and 12 of this Directive, including the authentication of users through the use of electronic identification means and relevant trust services as set out in Regulation (EU) 910/2014; this should not prevent users from other Member States to access information;
Amendment 618 #
Amendment 631 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 16 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Member States shall provide competent authorities with access to information which allows the identification in a timely manner, direct, unrestricted, and free access to the information of any natural or legal person owning real estate and the beneficial owners of thereof, including through registers or electronic data retrieval systems where such registers or systems are available. Competent authorities shall also have access to information allowing the identification and analysis of transactions involving real estate, including their economic value and details of the natural or legal persons involved in those transactions including, where available, whether the natural or legal person owns, sells or acquires real estate on behalf of a legal arrangement.
Amendment 639 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 16 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. By [3 years after the date of transposition of this Directive], Member States shall ensure that information referred to in paragraph 1 is held in a register in machine-readable format. Information may be collected in accordance with national systems.
Amendment 882 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 38 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 38 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) issue instructions to a self- regulatory body for the purpose of remedying a failure to perform its functions under Article 29(1) or to comply with the requirements of paragraph 5 and 6 of that Article, or to prevent any such failures. When issuing such instructions, the authority shall consider any relevant guidance it provided or that has been provided by AMLA.
Amendment 895 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 40 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 40 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) Section 1 of Chapter II (internal controlpolicies, controls and procedures).