A specialized capacity-building workshop on improving law enforcement and judicial practices in Bosnia and Herzegovina concerning financial investigations and asset recovery concluded today in Sarajevo.

With the support of the Council of Europe experts, participants from courts, prosecutors’ offices, and law enforcement agencies examined the domestic legal framework, international standards, and the strengths and weaknesses of current practices related to the seizure and recovery of illicit assets.

The Council of Europe experts provided a technical assessment of four concluded court cases from Bosnia and Herzegovina, analysing all stages—from pre-trial investigations and evidence presentation to verdicts and the effectiveness of recovery mechanisms. They also offered recommendations to improve domestic practices and align them with international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), and relevant European Union directives.

Through these practical case studies and discussions, participants evaluated proposals to enhance investigations, prosecutions, inter-agency cooperation, and asset recovery procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This workshop is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina’s legislative and institutional framework for combating corruption, money laundering, and terrorism financing while improving the country’s capacity to enforce asset seizures and confiscations effectively.

The event was held as part of the Council of Europe's three-year initiative focused on combating corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, funded under the Council of Europe and the European Union’s joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” and by a voluntary contribution of the Council of Europe.