Compliance Teams in Germany are Being Asked to do More

AML requirements have become stricter. BaFin supervision has intensified. GDPR enforcement continues to increase. New obligations under DORA and other EU frameworks are being implemented. And at the same time, hiring in the legal and compliance space has slowed considerably, with many organisations freezing headcount or reducing the number of new positions they are filling.

The gap between what needs to be done and the resources available to do it is growing.

For German subsidiaries of international groups, this creates a particular challenge. The parent company often sets a lean headcount target for the German entity. But the German regulatory environment does not adjust to match that target. A German entity still needs a qualified and experienced AML Reporting Officer. It still needs a Data Protection Officer if the GDPR threshold is met. It still needs someone to manage the corporate governance obligations, and annual filings. These are not optional functions.

The companies that are handling this well are not trying to hire every function internally. They are outsourcing precisely the roles where they need expertise, accountability, and continuity, without taking on the cost and management overhead of a permanent hire.

At Greenfields, we provide outsourced AML Reporting Officers, Data Protection Officers, compliance teams, and managing directors for German entities. We take on the formal role, carry out the actual work, and give our clients the compliance confidence they need to focus on running their business.

The regulatory clock does not stop because hiring is difficult. But you do not have to face it alone.