By PAUL O’DONOGHUE, Senior Correspondent
AMLA has signed the lease for its new headquarters, which will be located in the iconic 257 metre tall Messeturm skyscraper in Frankfurt.
The organization said the move marks a major milestone for the agency, which recruited its first staff members earlier this year.
“We’re proud to be joining the vibrant community of Frankfurt, with our new home located in the Messeturm. We’ll be settling into the top floors of the building,” AMLA said in a statement.
Bruna Szego, the Chair of AMLA, said: “After kindly being hosted in the building since the start of the year, we are excited to make our long-term stay in the building official.”
AMLA added: “This marks a major milestone for our agency as we establish our permanent seat and continue building a strong foundation for our work across Europe.”
AML Intelligence first reported AMLA’s plans to move into the Messeturm in January.
The various German authorities are providing an average €2 million per annum over the next five years to cover the authority’s start-up costs – with a promise to review ongoing financial assistance.
AMLA HQ located in ‘iconic’ Messeturm
The Messeturm’s developers say the building “is probably the most striking skyscraper in the heart of Frankfurt am Main”.
“The landmark is not only one of the tallest, but also one of the best-known buildings in Germany.”
The tower’s “pencil” design was created by well-known architect Helmut Jahn. It was built between 1988 and 1991.
The move comes as AMLA moves to establish itself as the EU’s new AML watchdog.
Chair Bruna Szego was appointed this year. While the organization’s five permanent Executive Board members were approved by MEPs last month.
AMLA is eventually expected to have more than 400 members, and will oversee the EU’s biggest financial institutions.
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