Kosovo* has conducted a number of important rule of law reforms in recent years. Within the framework of the two phases of the EU/CoE Project against Economic Crime in Kosovo (PECK I and II), two assessments on “Compliance with international standards in the anti-corruption area” (CoE AC Assessment) and on “Compliance of Kosovo with intentional anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism standards” (CoE AML/CTF Assessment) were conducted pursuant to CoE evaluation methodologies. The findings of these assessments have supported some notable improvements and have provided local authorities with a blueprint of steps to be taken to ensure conformity with relevant international benchmarks. Furthermore, several capacity building inputs were provided by previous rounds of PECK in concrete areas, including strategic analysis and risk assessments in the AML, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering criminal procedures and case management, as well as international networking activities.

Challenges however remain. Kosovo needs to further adjust its anti-corruption and AML/CFT regulatory framework in select areas and, more pressingly, needs to boost effective application of anti-corruption and particularly AML/CFT efforts. To support Kosovo in these endeavours, the Agreement on the “Project against Economic Crime (PECK) Phase III” was signed between the Council of Europe and EU Office in Pristina. PECK III started on 30 June 2020, with a duration of 36 months and a budget of 2,460,400 Euro (EU funds: 90% and CoE funds: 10%).

PECK III seeks to enhance anti-corruption and AML/CFT practices in Kosovo, in line with applicable European and international standards and good comparative practices. For the purpose of achieving the above objective, the project will ensure, through its activities that:

1. Practitioners in Kosovo have developed effective and sustainable capacities for preventing and supressing corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing;
2. Kosovo authorities effectively implement asset recovery legislation; and
3. Economic crime case processing by Kosovo authorities is improved.

The main counterparts of the PECK III Project are: Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency; Financial Intelligence Unit, State Prosecution, Agency for Managing Sequestrated and Confiscated assets, and Kosovo Police.

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*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.}