July 11, 2025
Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness, has urged the European Parliament to remove Jamaica and Barbados from its list of high-risk jurisdictions for money laundering and terrorist financing.
Prime Minister Holness made this appeal during a press conference at the close of the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Tuesday.
“While the European Union (EU) has recommended to the European Parliament, through its delegated regulation of June 2025, that Jamaica and Barbados be delisted, this has not yet fully materialized. Different groups in the Parliament, for reasons unrelated to the domestic situation in Barbados and Jamaica, have issued motions that will block positive action in this regard,” the Prime Minister explained.
He called on EU officials to reconsider their stance, pointing out that being on the EU Enhanced Delegated List affects daily life for Jamaican and Caribbean citizens by complicating routine banking transactions.
“For the average person, the excessive regulations are extremely frustrating. Many may conclude that it is simply government inefficiency that requires them to complete so many forms, provide multiple types of identification, and answer numerous questions just to transfer $100, without realizing there is a global framework for anti-money laundering and other requirements imposed on states by various international bodies,” Holness said.
He emphasized that this is a regional problem that demands a collective approach. Governments, he argued, must work together to engage with global institutions and advocate on behalf of citizens to make regulatory requirements more efficient and easier for people to use the financial system.
Prime Minister Holness reiterated that CARICOM is making a “strident appeal to the European Union to exercise greater discretion so that countries which have complied, often at great sacrifice and cost to their people, receive appropriate consideration. He urged that these nations not be grouped indiscriminately with others or forced to wait for extended periods before receiving relief.”
His appeal follows a similar call made by outgoing CARICOM Chair and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley, at the opening ceremony of the 49th Regular Meeting last Sunday.
Prime Minister Mottley noted that, because of a technical mechanism governing the EU’s removal process, Barbados and Jamaica continue to suffer under the listing even though they have been deemed fully compliant with all obligations required by the Financial Action Task Force. She pointed out that Jamaica and Barbados remain on the list alongside jurisdictions such as Gibraltar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Prime Minister Mottley argued that this is unjust and urged the EU to resolve the issue. She emphasized that, if the situation were reversed, Caribbean countries would be advised to find ways for their own parliaments to change their approach, rather than having all countries treated the same way and subjected to the consequences of opposition within the European Parliament, despite the progress made.
Source: (Caribbean News Global)
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