Action against Corruption and Economic Crime

ECCD Newsletter15th Edition| June 2025


Welcome to the fifteenth edition of the ECCD Newsletter!

The Economic Crime and Cooperation Division (ECCD) is responsible for the Council of Europe's cooperation and technical assistance activities concerning the implementation of international standards against corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing. In the June 2025 Edition of the ECCD Newsletter you will find interesting updates on our recent activities and useful publications, as well as key developments from the Council of Europe monitoring bodies GRECO and MONEYVAL.

Enhancing public sector integrity and accountability: Practitioners discuss corruption risk assessment approaches

24 - 25 April 2025

An international workshop, organised under several EU/Council of Europe joint programmes, brought together over 70 anti-corruption professionals from across Europe and neighbouring regions to exchange on the use of corruption risk mapping and assessment tools in policymaking. Participants explored practical strategies to identify and mitigate corruption risks at institutional and national levels. The event showcased the Council of Europe’s methodology, emphasising inter-institutional cooperation, technological innovation, and evidence-based approaches to enhance transparency, accountability, and governance resilience.

Council of Europe supports an expert review of Albania’s Anti-Corruption Action Plan

3 April 2025

The ECCD supported Albania’s Ad Hoc Parliamentary Commission in reviewing its draft anti-corruption Action Plan to align with European standards and address key gaps. Findings were shared at a high-level meeting in Tirana, highlighting the need for legal harmonisation, stronger institutions, and improved oversight to ensure sustainable reform and effective anti-corruption efforts.

Workshop on the Council of Europe ML/TF risk assessment methodology held in Moldova

27-28 January 2025

The multi-day workshop aimed to support Moldova in preparing to update its national risk assessment on money laundering and terrorist financing. It provided training on the Council of Europe’s risk assessment methodology, focusing on data management and identifying vulnerabilities.
The initiative aims to strengthen Moldova’s AML/CTF framework and align it with international standards.

MENA countries exchange good practices on asset recovery and management

23-24 April 2025

The Council of Europe held a regional roundtable with five Southern Mediterranean jurisdictions to share practices on asset recovery and management. Discussions covered confiscation methods, including virtual assets, and highlighted the importance of international cooperation, ahead of the launch of the Middle East and North Africa Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network in July 2025.

Strengthening financial investigations and asset recovery in Bosnia and Herzegovina

12 March 2025

The workshop provided participants with the opportunity to assess current challenges in financial investigations and asset recovery through practical case studies. Experts delivered key recommendations to help align domestic practices with international standards, aiming to improve the effectiveness of legal and institutional frameworks and the enforcement of asset recovery measures in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Enhancing AML compliance capacity for legal professionals, brokers, and gambling providers in Armenia

24-25 and 27 March 2025

During the three capacity-building events organised in cooperation with Armenia's Financial Monitoring Center, participants from legal, real estate, and gambling sectors discussed compliance, risk management, and reporting obligations to strengthen Armenia’s AML/CFT framework and foster the private-public sectors' cooperation in combating financial crime.

Austrian regional and local trade sector supervisors improve practical skills for better prevention

24-27 March 2025

The Council of Europe is assisting Austrian authorities in implementing a more effective risk-based approach to supervising the trade sector. In addition to a practical manual, this support includes the delivery of an initial round of training sessions aimed at enhancing supervisors’ capacity and skills to apply risk-based supervision, thus strengthening the overall preventive system of Austria.

Supporting Bulgaria in strengthening the AML/CFT compliance among private sector representatives

15-17 April 2025

Over 300 representatives of Bulgaria’s non-financial sectors attended AML/CFT awareness-raising sessions in April 2025. The sessions provided practical guidance on compliance obligations, emerging risks, and fostered stronger cooperation between private and public sectors to enhance the overall effectiveness and implementation of Bulgaria’s AML/CFT framework.

Enhancing EU restrictive measures' implementation by national authorities and business operators

1-2 April 2025

The workshop and training sessions held on 1–2 April 2025 provided national competent authorities and business operators with an opportunity to explore freezing practices, cross-border information sharing, and the use of open-source intelligence tools to detect sanctions circumvention. The events promoted harmonised approaches and practical skills for effective compliance.

📢 New Webpage: Council of Europe Risk Assessment Methodologies

This month we have launched a dedicated webpage outlining our tailored methodologies for national and sector-specific money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing risk assessments. These flexible, data-driven tools support jurisdictions in identifying, evaluating, and mitigating financial crime risks. The page also details available support for applying these tools, including training, expert advice, and guidance throughout the assessment process.

Visit the new page here ›


Council of Europe Monitoring Updates

*GRECO* GRECO publishes new Evaluation and Compliance reports on the Fourth Evaluation Round ( Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain, Ukraine) and the Fifth Evaluation Round (Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Sweden). First 6th Round Evaluation Visit Undertaken in Estonia by GRECO Delegation GRECO high-level delegation urges Denmark swift action to strengthen corruption prevention and integrity frameworks within Parliament, central government and the police Outcome of the 99th Plenary Meeting of GRECO New GRECO evaluation round launched : Preventing corruption and promoting integrity at the sub-national level - Group of States against Corruption *MONEYVAL* MONEYVAL calls on Guernsey to step up efforts against money laundering Bosnia and Herzegovina Urged to Strengthen Efforts Against Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing - Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism MONEYVAL launches the evaluation process of Albania. MONEYVAL continues the evaluation process of Latvia. MONEYVAL Chair takes part in the seminar on the implementation of the EU AML/CFT package


In Other News

FATF updates Standards and consults on guidance to better promote financial inclusion Outcomes FATF Plenary, 19-21 February 2025 The EBA consults on new rules related to the anti- money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism package \| European Banking Authority EU adopts 16th package of sanctions against Russia - European Commission

In Case You Missed it: Trends and practice of Special Courts and Specialised Judges in the Anti-Corruption area

This study examines the rationale for establishing specialist anti-corruption courts versus appointing specialised anti-corruption judges, drawing on the experiences of countries that have implemented such measures. It focuses in depth on nine Council of Europe member states, while also referencing a wider sample of 33 jurisdictions worldwide—11 in Europe, one in North America, 10 in Africa, and 10 in Asia and the Pacific.

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