AMLA’s harmonised STR format under the AMLR
AMLA wants one suspicious-transaction report format for the whole EU — and on 2 July 2026 it put the draft technical standards out for consultation. Today a firm operating across borders files suspicious-activity reports into a different national FIU system in each country. Under Article 69(3) of the AML Regulation, a single harmonised template and a common data catalogue will replace that patchwork. This piece explains what AMLA proposed, what the AMLR already requires, the consultation timeline, and what obliged entities should prepare for.
1. What AMLA published
The Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) — the EU’s new central AML/CFT authority, established by Regulation (EU) 2024/1620 and seated in Frankfurt — opened a public consultation on 2 July 2026 on draft implementing technical standards (ITS) setting the format for reporting suspicions and for providing transaction records. The mandate comes from Article 69(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 — the AML Regulation (AMLR), the “single rulebook” that becomes applicable across the EU on 10 July 2027.
2. What the AMLR already requires
Article 69(1) of the AMLR obliges entities to report, on their own initiative, any suspicion that funds are the proceeds of criminal activity or are linked to terrorist financing, and to provide the financial intelligence unit (FIU), on request, with all necessary information — including transaction records. The ITS does not create that duty; it standardises how it is discharged, so that a report filed in one member state carries the same structured data as one filed in another.
3. What the draft ITS introduces
The main elements are:
- A common format for suspicious-transaction reports — content plus technical specifications
- Entity-type-specific templates, adapted in particular to the specifics of the non-financial sector
- A uniform format for transmitting transaction records when an FIU requests them from credit and financial institutions
- A common data catalogue — one master field set, with obliged entities sending only the applicable subset
- A built-in periodic review of the required data, so the catalogue can be updated in a structured way rather than ad hoc
The aim, in AMLA’s words, is a harmonised set of data points that is consistent across member states while still leaving room for sector-specific needs.
4. Consultation timeline and phased rollout
The consultation closes on 20 September 2026, with a public hearing during the consultation period. AMLA will factor the feedback into the submission it must make to the European Commission by 30 November 2026; the Commission then adopts the final ITS. AMLA has signalled a gradual, phased adoption rather than a single switch-over — an initial period in which FIUs jointly settle the common data list, followed by implementation of the standards and their annexes — to give firms and FIUs time to adapt.
5. Why it matters for cross-border firms
Today, a firm passporting across the EU reports suspicions into a different national FIU channel in each country, each with its own form, data model and quirks. A harmonised AMLR template collapses that into one structure — a real simplification for any group running a single transaction-monitoring function across borders.
| Jurisdiction | FIU / channel today | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | SEPBLAC | Filing a SAR in Spain |
| Germany | FIU Germany (goAML) | §43 GwG SARs |
| Netherlands | FIU-Nederland (goAML) | UTRs to FIU-Nederland |
| France | TRACFIN | Reporting to TRACFIN |
None of these national channels disappears overnight — but under the AMLR the content and structure of what flows into them converges. Firms that already treat their monitoring output as structured data, rather than as country-specific form-filling, will adapt fastest.
6. FAQ
Is the AMLA format in force yet?
No. It is a draft ITS out for consultation until 20 September 2026. AMLA submits its proposal to the European Commission by 30 November 2026; the Commission then adopts the final standards, with a phased rollout after that.
What is the legal basis?
Article 69(3) of Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 (the AML Regulation) mandates AMLA to specify the format for reporting suspicions and for providing transaction records to FIUs.
Does this replace SEPBLAC, TRACFIN or the national FIUs?
No. The national FIUs remain the recipients. What harmonises is the format and data catalogue of what obliged entities report, so a report is structured the same way across the EU.
Do smaller or non-financial entities have to send every field?
No. The common data catalogue is a master set; an obliged entity only submits the fields applicable to the transaction and the type of report, and there are entity-type-specific templates for the non-financial sector.
7. What to do, today
- Treat your transaction-monitoring output as structured data mapped to a canonical field set — not as country-by-country form-filling.
- Map your current national SAR/STR fields against the AMLR data catalogue as the draft firms up, and note the gaps.
- If the harmonised format affects you, consider responding to the consultation before 20 September 2026.
- Keep the 10 July 2027 AMLR application date on your remediation roadmap — the single rulebook is the backdrop to all of this.
Related: Filing a SAR in Spain · §43 GwG SARs in Germany · AML representative across the EU · AMLA cross-border STR routing · AMLA’s entity risk-scoring methodology · The EU AML package — AMLR, AMLD6 and AMLA · AMLR governance — compliance manager and officer · Reporting suspicions under the AMLR
