An article by TI Ireland’s Head of Policy and Research, Alexander Chance, has been published by the Azure Forum for Contemporary Security Strategy entitled ‘The changing scope of ownership transparency and its relevance to national security’. The article, which is published as part of the Azure Forum’s ‘Strategic Insights’ series, provides an overview of the EU’s latest anti-money laundering (AML) package and highlights its provisions on ownership transparency around high-value assets and financial vehicles. Drawing on EU-funded research by TI across nine countries as part of the STEP-EU project, the article summarises common strengths and weaknesses in the quality and accessibility of ownership data within Europe, as well as identifying issues specific to Ireland. Given the increasingly hybrid nature of organised crime, strategic corruption and other threats to prosperity and stability, the piece argues that ownership transparency should be treated as a critical tool not only for AML but also for protecting wider national security against illicit finance. The article is available on the Azure Forum’s Substack here. A copy of the article can be downloaded here.