Launched in January 2016, with a duration of 48 months, the Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe – iPROCEEDS, held its Closing Conference from 9 to 10 December 2019, in Strasbourg, France.

The meeting proved to be an active reunion where progress in each of the seven project areas were assessed, but also the outcomes, challenges and the success achieved during the last 48 months were reviewed. The conference served as a good opportunity to demonstrate the use and benefit of both Budapest and Warsaw Conventions in the IPA region, but also to validated the role of the iPROCEEDS project in strengthening the capacity of criminal justice authorities to effectively respond to cybercrime and to search, seize and confiscate proceeds from online crime.

Project beneficiaries used the conference as a platform to share best practices and present case-studies related to seizure of Virtual Currency, take down of illegal online platforms, inter-agency and international cooperation in investigation of cybercrime and its criminal proceeds as well as cooperation at the international level. The presentations covered also a wide range of cases related to the prevention and detection of online frauds and online money laundering, following the money of cybercriminals as well as cybercrime indicators for financial sector.

Through its various activities, the project contributed to increase the number of financial investigations in relation to cybercrime, as well as to have stronger institutions able to detect, seize and confiscate cybercrime proceeds and money laundering in the online environment. Nevertheless, parallel financial investigations related to cybercrime cases, in the area, remain low and is to be further addressed by the new Joint Project of the European Union and the Council of Europe – iPROCEEDS 2, due to start in January 2020.

• iPROCEEDS project webpage