Bosnia and Herzegovina placed on Moneyval grey list over unmet reforms

Bosnia and Herzegovina was officially added to the Moneyval grey list of jurisdictions with deficiencies in anti‑money‑laundering and terrorist‑financing controls. The decision was communicated to the BiH delegation at a FATF plenary in Paris, confirming that the country failed to fulfil the 13 conditions set by the expert committee, notably the establishment of a register of real owners of companies and the adoption of amendments to the laws on international legal assistance and on seizure and management of assets derived from crime.

The grey‑list status, which BiH previously held from 2015 to 2018, is expected to remain for about two years unless the required reforms are completed. Officials warned that the designation will lead to more expensive and slower cross‑border transactions, higher borrowing costs and reputational risk, potentially deterring foreign investment. As economist Admir Čavalić noted, “skuplje, sporije transakcije… mogu značiti veće nepotrebne troškove za građane i privrednike.”

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina still lacks a beneficial‑ownership register, while the Republika Srpska entity has already established one. Moneyval’s action underscores the broader challenges BiH faces in advancing its EU integration agenda.