洗錢是所有犯罪行為之重心，在歐盟層級上被賦予重要的優先處理。我們可以知道歐盟對付洗錢的決心，於一九九九年十月歐洲理事會宣稱：「洗錢是組織犯罪的核心，其應徹底根除，理事會要以實際的步驟確保追蹤、凍結、扣押和沒收這些對抗洗錢的方法」，而在二○○○年十月歐盟理事會更成立了金融和司法內政部門。二○○○年十月，理事會的委員訂立了和金融情報部門（FIUs）合作的文件，並修正歐盟反洗錢第一指令有關前置犯罪的成立，不單單僅針對毒品犯罪。另外，二○○一年歐盟還制定了洗錢定義、追蹤、凍結和沒收犯罪所得之工作框架，並在同年四月執委會並提出執行該工作的報告書。於二○○一年十一月正式制定反洗錢的第二指令，其修訂第一指令的兩大不足。一、擴大前置犯罪到所有的重大犯罪；二、適用信用和金融機構下的行為和專業人員，如記帳員、律師、公證人、經理、俱樂部和買賣高價位商品的商人，他們在顧客身份的鑑定、資料的保存和報告可疑交易時也應被賦予相同的義務。 FATF（打擊清洗黑錢財務行動特別組織）在二○○三同意四十項建議的修訂版，更有影響力以加強對抗洗錢所需的方式，所以歐盟的成員國和執委會認為應把四十項建議納入歐盟的新指令，即第三指令。故此歐盟決定撤銷已存的指令和制定獨立新的主體，將日前重要的恐怖犯罪行為納入規範。 Money-laundering is at the heart of practically all criminal activity. It has being given strategic priority at European Union（EU）level. Evidence of the EU`s determination to tackle money-laundering is clear. The Tampere European Council in October 1999 stated ”Money laundering is at the very heart of organised crime. It should be rooted out whereever it occurs. The European Council is determined to ensure that concrete steps are taken to trace, freeze, seize and confiscate the proceeds of crime.” Further proof was demonstrated by the first ever joint EU Council of finance and Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in October 2000.Measures adopted to combat money laundering include the EU Council of Ministers` decision of October 2000 concerning arrangements for cooperation between financial intelligence units（FIUs）of the Member States and a Council Act of November 2000 amending the terms of the Europol Convention to extend the competence of Europol to money-laundering in general, not just drugs-related money-laundering.A second anti-money laundering Directive was agreed in December 2001. It amends the earlier 1991 Directive in two main respects. First, it windens the definition of criminal activity giving rise to money laundering to include all serious crimes. Second it applies to activities and professions beyond credit and financial institutions（which were covered by the 1991 Directive）such as accountants, lawyers, notaries, real estate agents, casino and dealers in high value goods. They are now subject to the same obligations as regards customer identification, record keeping and reporting of suspicious transactions. In June 2003 the FATF agreed on a substantial revision of the Forty Recommendations to take account of experience acquired and the enhanced measures required to combat the phenomenon more effectively. For the sake of clarity it has been decided to repeal the existing Directive and propose a new autonomous text, including offences related to terrorism.
