The close of 2012 marked the end of the first five years of activity of Italy’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), instituted under Legislative Decree 231/2007 to replace the Italian Foreign Exchange Office (UIC) in the task of preventing and combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. During this period of intensive activity, the new body, which occupies a unique institutional position, has evolved into a different and more complex organization, with new tasks and new structures. Operating autonomously and independently, the FIU has built upon the expertise of the UIC and the human and technical resources assigned to it by the Bank of Italy, following the guidelines laid down in the law.
