The Council of Europe organised a workshop on “Comparative Practices on Setting up and Functions of Asset Recovery Office and Asset Sharing in the European Union Member States” on 2-3 July 2024 in Ankara, Türkiye. The event brought together representatives of Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, Ministry of Justice, and Law Enforcement Agencies, alongside EU practitioners and experts from the Council of Europe. 

The workshop highlighted the approaches taken by various jurisdictions for 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 co-operation with EU bodies, agencies, and third countries. 

The importance of exchange of information among AROs was underscored, with a focus on CARIN, a multi-agency network dedicated to depriving criminals of illicit profits, and Europol’s SIENA system for communication within 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 co-operation. Presentations focused also on relevant international standards, mechanisms for sharing recovered assets and the impact of anti-mafia legislation on asset recovery outcomes in Italy. 

The event provided a platform for exchanging views with other jurisdictions and allowed competent authorities in Türkiye to gain useful insights on lessons learnt, challenges and good practices that might be considered during the potential process of establishing an Asset Recovery Office.

This activity was organised as part 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”.