Europe continues to face growing risks related to corruption, money laundering (ML), and the financing of terrorism (FT) - threats that require robust, well-coordinated prevention and enforcement measures. Strengthening these mechanisms is critical to safeguarding democratic institutions, protecting financial systems, and enhancing Europe’s overall resilience to financial crime. In response to these challenges, a new co-operation programme has been launched in Strasbourg, France on 25-26 November 2025 -  Action against Corruption and Money Laundering in Europe.

The overall objective of the Action is to reinforce anti-corruption, anti-money laundering (AML), and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) prevention and enforcement frameworks across Europe, in line with international standards and good practices.

The event formally launched the Action’s implementation, confirmed its strategic areas of intervention, and discussed operational modalities with the Beneficiary States. The launch gathered representatives from 15 EU Mamber States,[*] experts and Secretariat members from the Council of Europe, as well as representatives from the European Commission (DG FISMA) and the Financial Mechanism Office of the EEA and Norway Grants.

“Corruption remains a global challenge, undermining democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and public trust. Likewise, money laundering and the financing of terrorism pose serious risks to the integrity and stability of financial systems. The fight against these phenomena is as vital as ever and demands coordinated, multi-country efforts,” stated Mr Gianluca Esposito, Director General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe.

The discussions addressed the implementation of the EU’s AML/CFT legislative package (Directive 2024/1640 and related Regulations) and the asset recovery and confiscation framework (Directive 2024/1260). Participants gained insight on the Council of Europe tools for financial-crime risk assessment and anti-corruption measures. The event provided practical guidance on strengthening legal frameworks and translating ML/FT risk assessments into effective mitigation strategies. Delegates further exchanged experiences and good practices on building resilience against corruption in the law enforcement sector.

The “Action against Corruption and Money Laundering in Europe” is funded by the EEA and Norway Grants financial mechanism and implemented by the Council of Europe Economic Crime and Cooperation Division.