The Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (Autorità di Supervisione e Informazione Finanziaria, or ASIF) is the central institution in the Holy See and Vatican City State that is responsible for the prevention and countering of money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (AML/CFT/CPT). It is the central authority for supervision and regulation in these matters, both in relation to the obliged entities (i.e. the entities who, due to the activities they carry out, are subject to the obligations set out in the AML/CFT/CPT legislation) and the reporting entities (i.e. entities who, under Vatican law, are required to report suspicious activities). With regard to obliged entities, there is only one such entity in the jurisdiction – the Istituto per le Opere di Religione – while the reporting entities consist of every legal entity with a registered office in the Vatican City State and all the Institutions of the Roman Curia. The Authority also contains the jurisdiction's financial intelligence unit, which is responsible for acquiring and analyzing the suspicious activity reports submitted by reporting entities, making use of internal and international collaboration (the Authority is a member of the Egmont Group). Furthermore, ASIF is also the central authority for the supervision and prudential regulation of entities that professionally carry out financial activities (to date, exclusively the Istituto per le Opere di Religione).
The AIF has its seat in Palazzo San Carlo, Vatican City, close to Domus Sanctae Marthae.
Overview and history
The Authority, originally named the Financial Information Authority (Autorità di Informazione Finanziaria, or AIF), was established by Pope Benedict XVI on 30 December 2010 with the Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio“ for the prevention and countering of illegal activities in the area of monetary and financial dealings”. In August 2013, the Authority was given the mandate by Pope Francis to also carry out prudential supervision. The powers of the Authority were confirmed by Pope Francis on 15 November 2013 through an Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio, with which a new Statute was approved. On 5 December 2020, Pope Francis approved an updated version of the Statute, by virtue of which the Authority took on its current name and a new organizational structure, one that is more responsive to its operational and institutional needs. However, the skills and functions remained unchanged, as also reiterated in Article 248 of the Apostolic Constitution “Praedicate Evangelium” of 19 March 2022. In accordance with the current Statute, ASIF is made up of three bodies (the President, the Board and the Directorate) and is divided into three Units (the Supervisory Unit, the Regulatory and Legal Affairs Unit and the Financial Intelligence Unit).
The board members, appointed for five years, as of 2019 were:
- Carmelo Barbagallo (Italy), President (since November 27, 2019);
- Roberto Sanchez Mariano (United States of America);
- Kevin Ingram (United Kingdom);
- Giuseppe Boccuzzi (Italy).
The members of the Directorate, appointed for five years, as of 2019 were:
- Giuseppe Schlitzer (Italy), Director (since April 1, 2020)
- Federico Antellini Russo (Italy), deputy director (since April 1, 2020)
Past presidents
- Cardinal Attilio Nicora (2011–2014)
- Mons. Giorgio Corbellini (2014 ad interim)
- René Brülhart (2014–2019)
Past directorate members
- Francesco De Pasquale (2011 – 2013) (Director); Alfredo Pallini (2011 – 2012) (deputy director)
- René Brülhart (2013 – 2014) (Director); Tommaso Di Ruzza (2014 – 2015) (deputy director ad interim)
- Tommaso Di Ruzza (2015 – 2020) (Director)
See also
References
- According to Article 46 of Law No. XVIII of 8 October 2013 (AML/CFT Law) - Legge_n.XVIII.pdf (asif.va)
- According to Article 48 of Law No. XVIII of 8 October 2013 (AML/CFT Law) - Legge_n.XVIII.pdf (asif.va)
- Members by Region - Egmont Group; "Vatican Financial Intelligence Authority Admitted to Global Network of Financial Intelligence Units". Zenit News Agency. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
- According to Article 48 of Law No. XVIII of 8 October 2013 (AML/CFT Law) - Legge_n.XVIII.pdf (asif.va)
- Apostolic Letter issued "Motu Proprio" for the prevention and countering of illegal activities in the area of monetary and financial dealings (December 30, 2010) | BENEDICT XVI (vatican.va)
- Apostolic Letter Issued Motu Proprio for the countering of money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (8 August 2013) | Francis (vatican.va)
- Apostolic Letter Issued Motu Proprio Approving the New Statutes of the Financial Intelligence Authority (15 November 2013) | Francis (vatican.va)
- Chirograph signed by the Holy Father - Statute of the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority (ASIF) (5 December 2020) | Francis (vatican.va); "Pope Francis approves overhaul of Vatican's financial watchdog". Catholic News Agency. 5 December 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
- Article 248 of the Apostolic Constitution states that: “The Supervisory and Financial Information Authority carries out, as provided for by law and by its proper statutes, the functions of: supervision aimed at the prevention and countering of money laundering and the financing of terrorism with regard to the entities and subjects under its supervision; prudential supervision of those entities that carry out financial activity on a professional basis; regulation for prudential purposes of those entities that carry out financial activity on a professional basis and, in the cases provided for by law, regulation for the prevention and countering of money laundering and financing of terrorism. In this capacity, it also carries out the function of financial intelligence” (see: “Praedicate Evangelium” on the Roman Curia and its service to the Church and to the World (19 March 2022) | Francis (vatican.va)).
- Statute: Article 3, paragraph 1.
- Statute: Article 3, paragraph 2.
- Allen Jr., John L. (30 January 2014). "Francis taps reformer for financial cleanup". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
External links
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