The Diplomat
The Government of Gibraltar welcomed this Wednesday the European Parliament’s decision to remove the Rock from the EU’s ‘grey list’ on money laundering and terrorist financing.
In a statement, Fabián Picardo’s government expressed its “satisfaction” with the outcome of the vote held this Wednesday in the European Parliament, “which will pave the way for Gibraltar to be removed from the EU’s so-called ‘grey list’.”
The European Parliament has supported the European Commission’s proposal to remove Gibraltar from the list. The proposal will take effect upon publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and once it is confirmed that the European Council does not oppose it. “This should happen very shortly,” according to the Gibraltar government.
“The news today that the European Parliament has rejected objections to the update of the EU list brings an end to the uncertainty about Gibraltar’s merited delisting which should have happened over a year ago following our delisting by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF),” said Gibraltar’s Minister for Trade, Justice and Industry, Nigel Feetham.
“This is testament to the work undertaken by my Ministry to bring Gibraltar to the vanguard of the fight against money laundering and counterterrorist financing, and Gibraltar’s reputation as a world-leading financial centre has been rightfully restored,” he continued.
“It is clear too that our engagement with partners in Brussels, both with the European Commission and the European Parliament, has worked to produce the result that we have worked so hard to obtain,” he added.
“We will continue to improve and are committed to maintaining the highest international standards and working constructively with our European and international partners,” he concluded.