AMLD 4 & 5 guidelines

The 2015-2020 turning point: how the AML guidelines imposed KYB

The AMLD 4 and AMLD 5 guidelines, adopted between 2015 and 2020, imposed a new standard of KYB compliance. These anti-money laundering directives have placed B2B due diligence at the heart of the strategy to combat financial crime in Europe.

Mandatory identification of beneficial owners

Businesses now have to prove:

• That they exist legally
• Who actually controls the company (UBO)
• That the ownership structure is transparent
• That the declared activity corresponds to the actual activity

It is a revolution in legal traceability.

Strengthening B2B onboarding

The financial sector was the first to be impacted, followed by fintechs, marketplaces, insurance, payment companies, digital service providers.
These actors are now responsible for:

• The collection of official documents
• Automatic comparison with official databases
• AML and fraud risk detection
• Monitoring compliance throughout the commercial relationship

Automation and technology for compliance

Faced with the complexity of controls, technological innovation has emerged.
Modern solutions like Dataleon now allow:

• A fast and automated business audit
• Advanced controls (OCR, document recognition, AI, public and private databases)
• A reduction in onboarding time
• Ongoing, scalable, and secure compliance

The impact for businesses

KYB is no longer just a regulatory requirement.
It has become an essential factor in competitiveness:

• Accelerating time-to-revenue
• Improving the B2B user experience
• Strengthened protection against operational and financial risks

Actors who adopt the digitalization of compliance strengthen their reputation and their security.

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