The European Union/Council of Europe Joint Programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” is a co-operation modality developed by the Council of Europe and the EU to support compliance of Beneficiaries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo^*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye) with European standards and the EU acquis in the areas covered by the Facility. Under the first and second phase of the Horizontal Facility, support was provided to assist the Beneficiaries in bringing their policies, institutions and practices further in line with the recommendations of the Council of Europe monitoring bodies and European standards. Efforts to further support the Beneficiaries in implementing sufficient reforms towards compliance with European standards and the EU acquis in the areas of rule of law, democracy and human rights, will continue under the third phase of the Horizontal Facility which begun on 1 January 2023 and will last until 31 December 2026. 

Within the third phase of the Horizontal Facility, Action against Economic Crime in the Western Balkans and Türkiye will provide capacity building, advice and opportunities for exchanges at the regional level in the following areas: 

1. Improved capabilities to address anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) risks from emerging technologies; and
2. Strengthened anti-corruption and AML/CFT response to environmental crime.
    

_{* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.}