Groups within the European Parliament will choose their favorites on Wednesday, and then on Thursday a vote will be held to determine the winner.
Rīga is among the contenders but according to Politico, it is not believed to be one of the main contenders.
Last year LSM reported on the submission of Rīga's bid, which stressed how it had successfully turned around a previous reputation as a money-laundering hub.
Nine capital cities are in contention: Rome, Vienna, Vilnius, Rīga, Frankfurt, Dublin, Madrid, Brussels and Paris. Information on the hearings and background documents from candidate Member States can be found via this link.
The seat of the agency will be determined by a joint vote of the European Parliament and Council. Parliament and Council have reached provisional agreements on other parts of the package of measures against money-laundering and terrorist financing. Before the package can enter into law, the co-legislators need to formally adopt the laws, which they have committed to doing before the EU elections in June 2024.
You can watch how Rīga's presentation went in Brussels on January 30, and how Finance Minister Arvils Ašeradens was grilled about the bid, in the video below.
