Staff Writer
The European Union congratulated Namibia on its removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in June 2026, recognising the significant progress made in strengthening the integrity of the country’s financial system.
This achievement reflects the successful implementation of the FATF Action Plan through the strong commitment of theNamibian authorities under the coordination of the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC).
The European Union has been a close partner in this process. Since Namibia’s FATF listing in 2024, the EU has worked alongside Namibia’s FIC and national institutions to support the implementation of the Action Plan.
The EU supported capacity building to over 150 officials across law enforcement and justice institutions, through more than ten specialised trainings, with six more sessions planned this year alone.
Bryan Eiseb, the Director of the FIC said that “the partnership with the EU was instrumental in implementing the recommendations from FATF”.
This forms part of the EU’s broader partnership with Namibia. Strengthening the integrity ofNamibia’s financial institutions builds investor confidence and creates conditions for economic growth and job creation.
The EU remains one of Namibia’s most important and diverse trading and investment partners. In 2025, Namibia’s total trade with the EU reached N$34.1 billion (N$17.6 export – N$16.5 import), supporting over 46 000 Namibian jobs.
The EU Delegation clarified that FATF’s delisting of Namibia triggered an EU internal legislative procedure that is expected to lead to Namibia’s removal from the EU’s own AML/CTF List by the end of the year, following a vote in the European Parliament.
It said recent media reports claiming that the EU has kept Namibia on its AML/CTF List, are referring to the EU’s 2025 annual legislative update where Namibia was kept on its list, based on the FATF’s 2024 grey-listing decision and do not reflect the EU’s current process following Namibia’s FATF delisting last month.
The delegation said the EU’s Financial Crime Monitoring jurisdiction does not constitute sanctions, restrictions on trade, investment, or development cooperation on listed countries.
The EU legislation requires EU financial institutions to apply enhanced customer due diligence for transactions involving listed jurisdictions, in line with international standards.
EU Ambassador to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins, said: “The European Union warmly congratulates Namibia on this important achievement of implementing FATF’s recommendations in record time. As a next step, we are committed to support Namibia in the EU’s own legislative and delisting process. Our cooperation on strengthening financial integrity will continue well beyond the delisting process, reflecting our shared commitment to transparency, good governance and sustainable economic growth.”
