The project “Countering Money Laundering in Albania” continues to support Albanian authorities in their efforts to enhance the effectiveness of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) measures, in line with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force.

As part of these efforts, targeted training was delivered to prosecutors from the Special Anti-Corruption Structure and the General Prosecution Office, as well as to judges from the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime and the District Court of Tirana. The aim was to strengthen their understanding of key AML/CFT standards and enhance their effective application in judicial and prosecutorial practice.

The training programme focused on areas of direct relevance to the judiciary and prosecution services, including the National Risk Assessment of money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF), risk-based policy, international co-operation, and the investigation and prosecution of ML and TF. It also addressed the legal and procedural frameworks for freezing, seizure, application of provisional measures, and confiscation of illicit proceeds of crime.

By fostering a shared understanding of applicable AML/CFT standards and encouraging exchanges among criminal justice professionals, the activity reinforced the consistent application of these standards in day-to-day practice, while also strengthening institutional preparedness in view of Albania’s forthcoming MONEYVAL mutual evaluation. In doing so, it helped translate technical requirements into operational know-how, further enhancing inter-institutional cooperation and the overall effectiveness of the AML/CFT framework.

This support was rendered in the framework of the project “Countering Money Laundering in Albania” co-financed by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.