Structure and Organization of the Egmont Group

The Heads of FIUs (HoFIUs), the Egmont Committee, the Working Groups and the Egmont Group Secretariat make up the operating structure of the Egmont Group.

The Heads of FIUs

The HoFIUs comprise the Egmont Group’s governing body; making decisions on any matters that affect the Group’s membership, structure, budget and principles. The HoFIUs reach decisions by consensus. 

The Chair of the Egmont Group

In June 2010, Mr. Boudewijn Verhelst was appointed Chair of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units.

From 1975 to 1994, Mr. Verhelst served as King's Attorney (Public Prosecutor), in charge of the financial fraud section in Bruges. In 1994, he was appointed Deputy Attorney General at the Court of Appeal in Gent. He has also been seconded as deputy director of the Belgian Financial Intelligence Processing Unit, CTIF-CFI since July 1993.

Mr. Verhelst brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his post as Chair. He was a lecturer in commercial and economic law at the Police Academy for the Province of West-Flanders, as well as Law Enforcement expert to the Moneyval Committee as part of the Council of Europe.

His other posting include Evaluator of legal and law enforcement in FATF, Council of Europe, CFATF, WB and various IMF AML/CFT assessments.

The Egmont Committee

The Egmont Committee serves as the consultation and coordination mechanism for the HoFIUs and the Working Groups. Its primary functions include assisting the Egmont Group in a range of activities, from internal coordination and administration, to representation at other international fora. It also oversees the work of the Egmont Group Secretariat. The Egmont Committee is comprised of permanent and regional members. The Egmont Committee is currently made up of a Chair, two Vice-Chairs, the Chairs of the five working groups, regional representatives from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania, a representative of the host of the Egmont Secure Website (FinCEN) and the Executive Secretary of the Egmont Group.

The Working Groups

In order to accomplish its mission of development, cooperation, and sharing of expertise, the Egmont Group created five working groups. The working groups meet periodically and report to the HoFIUs about their activities. The working groups and their functions are as follows:

  • The Legal Working Group (LWG) reviews the candidacy of potential members and handles all legal aspects and matters of principle within Egmont, including cooperation between FIUs.
  • The Outreach Working Group (OWG) works to create a global network of FIUs by identifying candidates for membership and working with those FIUs to ensure that they meet the Egmont Group standards.
  • The Training Working Group (TWG) identifies training needs and opportunities for FIUs and their personnel, and conducts training seminars for Egmont members as well as for non-Egmont members jurisdictions.
  • The Operational Working Group (OpWG) seeks to bring FIUs together on typologies development and long-term strategic analytical projects.
  • The IT Working Group (ITWG) provides advice and technical assistance to new and existing FIUs to develop, enhance, or redesign their IT systems, and examines new software applications that might facilitate analytical work.

The Egmont Group Secretariat

The Secretariat was established in July 2007 and is based in Toronto, Canada. It provides administrative and other support to the overall activities of the HoFIUs, the Egmont Committee and the Working Groups. The Secretariat is headed by the Executive Secretary of the Egmont Group who is appointed by the HoFIUs and who reports to them through the Egmont Committee.

Organizational Chart

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