Thread by @sbowers00

Hmm. Last Friday was supposed to mark the end of corporate secrecy in Europe🎉

EU countries should all now have publicly-accessible registers showing the true owners of companies #AMLD5

But there was no champagne. No trumpets🎺🍾

Why @TimmermansEU? @VDombrovskis?🤷‍♀️
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@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis 4 yrs ago, after @ICIJorg, @SZ & other media published #panamapapers🏝️, the EU admitted its efforts to catch those using anonymous companies to commit crimes🕵️‍♀️ & hide assets👑💍🏆💰 (AMLD4) were not working.
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@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ The EU’s response was a new directive, AMLD5, requiring countries to publish registers of ownership🗂️by 10 Jan 2020 (i.e. last Friday)

Back then, @TimmermansEU said the EU was "proud"😇of its new "urgent counter-measures"💪against tax evaders & other criminals. 3/8

@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ So where *are* the registers?🤷‍♀️

Have all countries met Friday's deadline?🤔

Ironically, the picture is far from transparent...

When I asked the Commission which member states had successfully set up registers, and where to find them, this is what they told me⤵️🤐4/8

@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ Let’s not forget, member states have a poor record implementing EU rules to combat international crime🙄. As of last month, 22 out of 28 countries *still* hadn't met a 2017 deadline for AMLD4
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@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ Should we worry, too, that responsibility for this EU measure now lies with Commissioner @VDombrovskis, former prime minister of Latvia – a country that was for many years a money laundering hotspot? (I hope and believe not.) 6/8

@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ It would help if @VDombrovskis published a full list of all EU registers up and running, so far.

In the meantime, here’s a start:
🇩🇪transparenzregister.de/treg/de/start;…
🇱🇺lbr.lu/mjrcs-rbe/jsp/…
🇬🇧beta.companieshouse.gov.uk
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@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ If you spot🔎links to other registers, do please paste them onto this thread, DM me or email me 🙏8/8

@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ Thanks to @paultang for this update from the Netherlands 🇳🇱

@TimmermansEU @VDombrovskis @ICIJorg @SZ @paultang Thanks to @irish2witter, who has provided a link to the Irish register of beneficial ownership🇮🇪.
It even comes with a helpful video explaining how to run a search rbo.gov.ie/how-to.html👍
One downside: there is a fee charged for each search.👎