A two-day training course on terrorist financing investigation and prosecution has concluded in Sofia, bringing together representatives of Bulgarian competent authorities to strengthen their capacity to address terrorist financing (TF) cases.
The course was organised under the joint European Commission and Council of Europe Technical Support Instrument project, “Enhancing the anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework in Bulgaria.” Since its launch in October 2025, a central project priority has been to focus on strengthening the ability of Bulgarian law enforcement, the Financial Intelligence Unit and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute money laundering and terrorist financing.
The training combined expert-led sessions with a practical exercise. Participants examined the terrorist financing threat and legal framework, considered how financial intelligence can help identify investigative leads and support evidence-building, and discussed effective investigative and prosecutorial approaches. The course also highlighted the importance of coordination among domestic authorities and international cooperation. The practical exercise gave participants an opportunity to apply the concepts discussed and reflect on approaches relevant to their work.
The course built on earlier project activities, including a comparative analysis of investigation and prosecution frameworks in Bulgaria and selected EU jurisdictions, awareness-raising events on terrorist financing, and technical work to strengthen authorities’ guidance and procedures for parallel financial investigations. The project has also supported the development of a strategic training plan on TF investigations and prosecution, and delivered training on the use of circumstantial evidence in ML/TF investigations.
More detailed training modules on terrorist financing investigations, accompanied by training notes, have also been developed. These materials are intended to help Bulgarian authorities deliver future training independently and sustain the development of expertise beyond the project.
The activity was organised within the framework of the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project on “Enhancing the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework in Bulgaria”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.