Between September and November 2025, the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division (ECCD) of the Council of Europe successfully completed three initiatives implemented under the 2023 Council of Europe–European Union Technical Support Instrument (TSI). Delivered within the thematic area “Financial Sector and Access to Finance”, the initiatives supported Austria, Bulgaria and France in advancing priority anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) reforms.

The completed projects highlight the effectiveness of the TSI as a flexible and results-oriented instrument, enabling EU Member States to address complex institutional and operational challenges through targeted expertise, peer learning and practical deliverables within a limited timeframe.

Key results by country

Austria
The project strengthened risk-based AML/CFT supervision at Länder level for sectors exposed to higher ML/TF risks. It reviewed the legislative and administrative framework for selected high-risk sectors and led to the development of an Action Plan to enhance supervision and inter-institutional cooperation. Key outputs included a uniform risk-based supervision manual and data-gathering guidelines for Länder supervisory authorities, complemented by training for supervisors and awareness-raising for the private sector.

Bulgaria
The initiative enhanced the risk-based supervision and analytical capacities of the Financial Intelligence Directorate of the State Agency for National Security (FID-SANS). It strengthened supervisory methodologies for selected obliged sectors and reinforced FIU functions through improved procedures for operational and strategic analysis, including the use of open-source intelligence. Additional results included guidance and awareness-raising for obliged entities, strengthened implementation of targeted financial sanctions, and improved frameworks to mitigate terrorist financing risks related to non-profit organisations.

France
The project strengthened the capacity of the French FIU (Tracfin) to address ML/TF risks linked to crypto-assets and decentralised finance. It delivered a comparative assessment of FIU capacities across 14 European jurisdictions and supported a structured training programme for Tracfin staff. Key outputs included a practitioners’ manual, an awareness booklet for European FIUs, targeted peer exchanges, and a forward-looking study on the effective and secure use of blockchain analytics tools.

New 2025 TSI initiatives: Bulgaria and Slovenia

Building on the strong cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Commission’s Reform and Investment Task Force of the Secretariat-General (SG REFORM), two new joint TSI initiatives were launched in 2025:

Bulgaria – This new 12-month initiative will support authorities in enhancing their capacity to investigate and prosecute money laundering and terrorist financing cases. It will assist in operationalising recent AML/CFT legislative reforms, delivering legal reviews, comparative good-practice analyses, and peer-to-peer exchanges with EU counterparts. Expert assessments and inter-agency consultations will strengthen coordination and investigative effectiveness. The project will also provide a practitioner’s manual, a strategic training plan, and specialised training on advanced parallel financial investigations and the use of circumstantial evidence in terrorist financing cases, supporting long-term investigation and confiscation outcomes.

Slovenia – The two-year initiative will strengthen the capacity of State Prosecutor Offices to investigate and prosecute complex economic and financial crime. It includes a review of the legal framework with legislative amendment recommendations, organisational reforms to improve prosecutorial efficiency and inter-agency cooperation, and peer exchanges with EU counterparts. Hands-on operational support, specialised workshops, and the development of a sustainable training and organisational learning framework—including interactive online modules – will ensure continuous professional development and lasting institutional impact.

These initiatives demonstrate the strategic value of the TSI in delivering targeted, high-impact reforms. Through close cooperation with national authorities and EU partners, the Council of Europe continues to strengthen AML/CFT frameworks and the capacity of Member States to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to economic and financial crime.