Financial Enforcement Centre (FEC)

Collaborating Across Public Authorities to Prevent Financial Crime and Protect the Foundations of Our Economy.

Unified Authority

We work as one cohesive authority, bringing together diverse expertise to set and enforce financial standards.

Combating Crime

Our core mission is to actively combat and prevent financial crimes, safeguarding the integrity of the financial system.

Promoting Ethics

We address unethical behaviour within the financial sector, fostering transparency and building trust for all stakeholders.

About the FEC

Strengthening Financial Integrity

The Financial Enforcement Centre (FEC) is a collaborative initiative between public authorities, established to uphold and strengthen the integrity of the Netherlands' financial system. It implements both preventive and active measures against financial threats.

Collaborative Information Hub

The FEC serves as a crucial hub for information dissemination and knowledge sharing, combining insights, skills, and expertise from its partners. This ensures a coordinated, effective, and efficient approach to combating financial crime.

Our Mission and Objectives

Combat Financial Crime

We work to reinforce the financial system's integrity by reducing illicit fund flow and actively combating unethical practices within the sector.

Facilitate Knowledge Exchange

We strengthen the financial system by facilitating the exchange of information, knowledge, and expertise, primarily through public-private cooperation.

To realize this mission, the FEC carries out three key tasks: structural information exchange, knowledge sharing via the Knowledge Centre, and joint implementation of programmes, projects, and task forces.

FEC Partners and Observers

The FEC comprises seven public-sector partners, each acting within the bounds of their legal mandates:

Financial Institutions

Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM)
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB)

Government Agencies

Tax and Customs Administration
Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD)

Law Enforcement

Financial Intelligence Unit Netherlands (FIU-NL) Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) National Police (NP)

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Security and Justice participate as observers.
 

Public-Private Partnership

The Financial Enforcement Centre (FEC) collaborates with private-sector stakeholders to enhance the fight against financial crime through various key initiatives:

Strengthening Knowledge

By engaging with private-sector partners, the FEC significantly strengthens its collective knowledge base regarding financial crime and prevention strategies.

Improved Detection

These partnerships are crucial for improving the detection capabilities of criminal money flows both within and through the Netherlands' financial system.

Early Detection

Collaboration facilitates the early detection of suspicious activity, allowing for swift action and mitigation of potential financial threats.

Targeted Indicators

Joint development of targeted indicators enables a more precise and effective identification of illicit financial activities and patterns.

Key private-sector partners include: ABN AMRO, ING, De Volksbank, Rabobank, and The Dutch Banking Association (NVB).

Task Forces and Information Exchange

Serious Crime Task Force (SCTF)

Launched in 2019, this task force includes both public and private stakeholders. It targets facilitators of organised crime and enhances banks' monitoring capabilities, producing actionable intelligence and enabling pre-emptive interventions.

Terrorist Financing Task Force (TFTF)

Formed in 2017 and formalised in 2019, the TFTF supports collaboration to combat terrorist financing. By facilitating data exchange under existing legal boundaries, the task force has become a model for international cooperation.

The FEC’s information platform enables continuous exchange of intelligence on financial integrity risks. This process operates under strict legal frameworks established by the 2014 FEC Covenant and the 2019 Information Protocol.

Knowledge Sharing and Projects

Knowledge Centre

Our Knowledge Centre facilitates the exchange and development of expertise, supporting joint public-private projects and international engagement. It includes the FEC Privacy Platform, ensuring secure and legally compliant data handling.

FECademies

FECademies are dynamic knowledge-sharing events, often partnered with FIOD's Trends4FI. These events bring together public and private partners, promoting critical insights and cross-sector learning on both national and international scales.

FEC Unit and Organization

Knowledge Centre

Our Knowledge Centre facilitates the exchange and development of expertise, supporting joint public-private projects and international engagement. It includes the FEC Privacy Platform, ensuring secure and legally compliant data handling.

FECademies

FECademies are dynamic knowledge-sharing events, often partnered with FIOD's Trends4FI. These events bring together public and private partners, promoting critical insights and cross-sector learning on both national and international scales.

About FEC

“Working together as one authority to combat financial crime and unethical behaviour in the financial sector.”

FEC

The Financial Enforcement Centre (FEC) is a collaborative initiative between public authorities with supervisory, enforcement, investigative, or prosecutorial responsibilities in the financial sector. The FEC was established to uphold and strengthen the integrity of the financial system in the Netherlands. It achieves this through both preventive and active measures targeting threats to that integrity.

In addition, the FEC plays a crucial role in information dissemination and knowledge sharing. By pooling insights, skills, and expertise from its partners and observers, the FEC ensures a coordinated, effective, and efficient approach. This joint effort enables a focused response to systemic issues with wide-reaching impact.

FEC

The Financial Enforcement Centre (FEC) is a collaborative initiative between public authorities with supervisory, enforcement, investigative, or prosecutorial responsibilities in the financial sector. The FEC was established to uphold and strengthen the integrity of the financial system in the Netherlands. It achieves this through both preventive and active measures targeting threats to that integrity.

In addition, the FEC plays a crucial role in information dissemination and knowledge sharing. By pooling insights, skills, and expertise from its partners and observers, the FEC ensures a coordinated, effective, and efficient approach. This joint effort enables a focused response to systemic issues with wide-reaching impact.

About the FEC

Objective

The FEC’s core objective is to reinforce the integrity of the financial system by reducing the flow of illicit funds within and through the Netherlands. It actively combats financial crime and unethical practices within the sector.

Mission

The FEC’s mission is to fortify the financial system by facilitating the exchange of information, knowledge, and expertise, primarily within the public sector, and increasingly through public-private cooperation.

To realise this mission, the FEC carries out three key tasks:

  • Structural information exchange

  • Knowledge sharing via the Knowledge Centre

  • Joint implementation of programmes, projects, and task forces

Organisation

The FEC operates through a dual structure: the FEC Council and the FEC Unit, as established by the 2014 FEC Covenant. Supporting structures include the FEC Contact Group, the FEC Privacy Platform, and the FEC Task Force Analysis Team, all of which are critical to the Centre’s operation.

FEC Partners and Observers

The FEC comprises seven public-sector partners, each acting within the bounds of their legal mandates:

  • Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM)

  • Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst)

  • De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB)

  • Financial Intelligence Unit Netherlands (FIU-NL)

  • Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD)

  • Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM)

  • National Police (NP)

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Security and Justice participate as observers.

Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

The FEC also engages private-sector stakeholders to strengthen knowledge and improve detection of criminal money flows. Collaborations under the Serious Crime Task Force and Terrorist Financing Task Force exemplify this effort.

Private-sector partners:

  • ABN AMRO

  • ING

  • De Volksbank

  • Rabobank

  • The Dutch Banking Association (NVB)

These partnerships allow early detection of suspicious activity through the development of targeted indicators.

Information Exchange Platform

The FEC’s information platform enables continuous exchange of intelligence on financial integrity risks. Signals about individuals or entities potentially involved in malpractices are shared among the partners, especially within dedicated task forces.

This process operates under strict legal frameworks established by the 2014 FEC Covenant and the 2019 Information Protocol, ensuring responsible information sharing and mutual consultation.

Task Forces

Serious Crime Task Force (SCTF)

Launched in 2019, this task force includes both public and private stakeholders. It targets facilitators of organised crime and enhances banks’ monitoring capabilities, producing actionable intelligence and enabling pre-emptive interventions.

Terrorist Financing Task Force (TFTF)

Formed in 2017 and formalised in 2019, the TFTF supports collaboration to combat terrorist financing. It is chaired by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. By facilitating data exchange under existing legal boundaries, the task force has become a model for international cooperation, as recognised by the FATF.

Knowledge Centre

The FEC facilitates the exchange and development of expertise through its Knowledge Centre, supporting joint public-private projects and international engagement. This also includes the FEC Privacy Platform, which ensures legal compliance in data handling.

FECademies

These knowledge-sharing events, often organised in partnership with the FIOD’s Trends4FI, bring together public and private partners. They are typically digital and serve to promote insights and cross-sector learning, both nationally and internationally.

Projects

The FEC undertakes a wide array of joint projects designed to produce concrete, actionable results. Examples include:

  • Combating illegal trust services

  • Exploring money laundering via investment firms

  • Addressing risks associated with payment service providers

  • Investigating dividend stripping practices

  • Ensuring crypto service provider compliance

Notable PPP Projects:

  • Tackling money laundering in the automotive sector

  • Disrupting financial flows related to synthetic drugs

  • Preventing abuse of foundation legal entities

  • Strengthening corruption detection by banks

  • Combating exploitation-related money laundering

Terrorist Financing Programme

This programme identifies and analyses the financial networks of individuals and entities potentially linked to terrorism. It produces risk profiles, generates tested typologies, and informs targeted intervention strategies, improving the sector’s ability to detect and respond to threats.

History

1997: Establishment

The FEC was created following the 1997 Financial Sector Integrity Memorandum, initiated by the Ministers of Finance and Justice and the State Secretary of Finance.

2004: Restructuring

To improve engagement, the FEC was restructured and the FEC Council was introduced. Oversight moved from the Ministry of Finance to the AFM.

2007–2009: Reorganisation

Following an evaluation, the FEC improved its operational collaboration. From January 2009, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) assumed responsibility for its overall management.

Organization

Organisation

The Financial Enforcement Centre (FEC) is comprised of the FEC Council and the FEC Unit, as formalised in the FEC Covenant of 2014. In addition to these, several key organisational structures—though not outlined in the Covenant—play vital roles in supporting the FEC’s operations. These include the FEC Contact Network, the FEC Privacy Platform, the FEC Information Platform, and the FEC-TF Analysis Team.

 

FEC Partners and Observers

Within the FEC, public authorities—referred to as partners—collaborate based on their own legal powers and responsibilities, specifically in relation to upholding the integrity of the financial system. The FEC partnership includes the following eight public-sector entities:

  • The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM)

  • The Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst)

  • The Financial Supervision Office (BFT)

  • The Dutch Central Bank (DNB)

  • The Financial Intelligence Unit – Netherlands (FIU-NL)

  • The Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service (FIOD)

  • The Public Prosecution Service (OM)

  • The National Police

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice and Security are involved as observers.

 

Private Sector Participants

The FEC also collaborates with key private-sector entities, including:

  • ABN AMRO

  • ING

  • Rabobank

  • De Volksbank

  • The Dutch Banking Association (NVB), representing the banking sector

FEC Unit

FEC Unit

The FEC Unit operates on behalf of and under the authority of the Financial Enforcement Centre (FEC) partners. It is composed of professionals who are seconded from these partner organisations. Each team member remains officially employed by their respective home organisation but works at the FEC for a set term—typically two periods of two years.

Working at the FEC

Are you employed by one of our partner organisations or observers and interested in contributing to the integrity of the financial sector through a secondment to the Financial Enforcement Centre?
We encourage you to express your interest and regularly check this site for upcoming vacancy announcements.

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