Back From Black: Mauritius On The Road To ‘Blacklist' Removal

This is the first in a series of posts around the 'blacklisting' of Mauritius by the European Union (EU) in 2020 and the steps that the jurisdiction is taking to ensure its removal from the list at the earliest opportunity. Further posts will track the progress made by the Mauritian government in reversing this decision and any related developments.

Background

On 7 May 2020, the EU included Mauritius (along with 11 other countries) on its revised list of high-risk countries that have 'strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing frameworks' (AML-CFT Framework). The EU blacklist became applicable on 1 October 2020.

The revised methodology used by the EU to identify high-risk third countries took into account the increased interaction between the EU and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) listing process, an enhanced engagement with third countries and reinforced consultation with its member states. In February 2020,