The Council of Europe organised a workshop on “Comparative Practices on Setting up and Functions of Asset Recovery Office and Asset Sharing in the EU Member States” on 2-3 July in Ankara. The event, supported by the EU and the Council of Europe brought together representatives of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Finance and Treasury Financial Crimes Investigation Board, Ministry of Justice, and Law Enforcement Agencies, alongside EU practitioners and experts from the Council of Europe.

The workshop highlighted approaches to establishing an effective and comprehensive asset recovery system. It covered the evolution of Asset Recovery Offices (AROs) in the EU, explaining their main functions and different national models. Speakers discussed developments in the EU legislative framework, notably the new Directive on asset recovery and confiscation, emphasising among others, the cooperation with EU bodies and agencies and third countries.

During the discussions, the importance of information exchange among AROs was underscored, with a focus on CARIN (Camden Asset Recovery Inter-agency Network), a multi-agency network dedicated to depriving criminals of illicit profits, and Europols’ SIENA system for communication within the EU law enforcement. Representatives from the Judicial and Police AROs in the Netherlands highlighted the specific features of the Dutch system, including the organisation of powers and functions, internal structures, developments to improve confiscation results, existing confiscation measures, and international judicial cooperation.

Additional sessions presented the international standards and mechanisms for sharing recovered assets and the impact of anti-mafia legislation on asset recovery outcomes in Italy. The event provided a platform for the exchange of views and reflection on the potential establishment of an effective Asset Recovery Office in Türkiye.

This activity was organised within the framework of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme "Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye " and its “Action against money laundering in Türkiye”.