Technical Support Instrument (TSI) Project on: Development of Financial Intelligence Unit’s expertise focused on digital finance and virtual assets

Within the framework of the 2023 Council of Europe/European Union Technical Support Instrument (TSI) envelope, the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division is supporting the French Financial Intelligence Unit – Tracfin (Traitement du renseignement et action contre les circuits financiers clandestins) – with strengthening the capacities and knowledge in the area  virtual assets and decentralised digital finance, therefore also allowing to enhance the quality of Tracfin’s strategic and operational analysis functions. 

The project started on 1 September 2023 and will last for 24 months. Through tailored activities, the project aims to contribute to:

• Strengthen Tracfin’s analysts’ and investigators’ understanding on digital finance and virtual assets, as well as their capacity to identify related risks and red flags;
• Enhance the capacities of Tracfin’s operational agents to investigate cases involving digital finance and virtual assets.

Areas of specific focus include a detailed analysis of Tracfin’s and other European Member States FIUs’ challenges and training needs in the area of virtual assets and digital finance, the provision of a set of induction level training courses for all Tracfin agents, followed by more advanced modules for certain agents, adapted not only to their level of expertise and duties, but also to the operational needs of the service. The training courses will be supplemented by additional workshops on targeted topics identified by Tracfin, as well as by training materials.

The project budget is 416,667 Euros. The project is co-funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument and Council of Europe and is and implemented by the Council of Europe (Economic Crime and Cooperation Division), in cooperation with the European Commission.

More information on the cooperation between the EC DG REFORM and the Council of Europe can be found here.