The European Parliament on 9 July backed Delegated Act C(2025) 3815, approving the European Commission’s updated list of third countries deemed to present a high risk of money-laundering and terrorist-financing. The vote clears the way for the removal of Panama, Gibraltar, the United Arab Emirates, Barbados, Jamaica, the Philippines, Senegal and Uganda from the register, while adding Venezuela, Algeria, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia and Nepal. Leaving the so-called “grey list” frees the delisted jurisdictions from reinforced due-diligence requirements imposed on EU banks and other financial intermediaries, easing cross-border transactions and potentially lowering funding costs. Conversely, the newly listed countries will face tighter scrutiny of their financial dealings with the 27-nation bloc, although the designation itself carries no direct sanctions. Panama’s government said the decision restores the country’s international standing and should attract foreign investment. President José Raúl Mulino hailed the vote as “a recognition of the serious work we are doing,” while Economy and Finance Minister Felipe Chapman called it an “extraordinary” day for the Central American nation. The EU executive noted that Panama met all outstanding technical criteria after the Financial Action Task Force removed it from its own monitoring list in October 2023. The update will enter into force unless the EU Council blocks it within one month. Brussels reviews the high-risk list periodically, using FATF findings and its own assessments to safeguard the bloc’s financial system.