A Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is a national body responsible for receiving, analysing, and disseminating financial intelligence related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and associated predicate offences. In practical terms, FIUs are the central hubs that collect Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) filed by banks and other obliged entities, analyse the information contained in those reports, and share relevant intelligence with law enforcement agencies when appropriate.
Every EU Member State is required to have a functioning FIU. At the EU level, Directive (EU) 2019/1153 strengthened the framework for cooperation between Member States’ FIUs, enabling them to share information more effectively in cross-border investigations. An FIU is not itself a law enforcement agency — its role is intelligence analysis and dissemination rather than arrest or prosecution.
