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Back Joint session of the Conference of the Parties to CETS 198 and the Committee of experts on the operation of European conventions on co-operation in criminal matters (PC-OC)

On 17 November 2022 the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime and on the financing of terrorism (CETS 198) held a joint session with the Committee of experts on the operation of European conventions on co-operation in criminal matters (PC-OC) in Strasbourg, in order to discuss and consider the development of Council of Europe instruments in the field of criminal asset recovery, the management and sharing of confiscated assets, as well as non-conviction-based forfeiture.

Ambassador Petr Válek, Chair of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Rapporteur Group on Legal Co-operation (GR-J) and Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic and Mr Jan Kleijssen, Director of Information Society and Action against Crime of the Council of Europe opened the Joint Session.

Both underlined the importance of consolidated efforts to combat economic crime through the continued development of Council of Europe legal instruments in this field. Discussion panels included renown asset recovery practitioners from Council of Europe member and non-member states, as well as international organisations and academic institutions. The key topics of the session were based on the PC-OC “Study on the possible added value and feasibility of preparing a new binding instrument in the Council of Europe on international co-operation as regards the management, recovery and sharing of assets proceeding from crime”.

Participants of the Joint Session generally agreed with the key recommendations of the Study and agreed to take the next steps in this work. The outcomes of the Joint Session will be presented to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers.

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