The Council of Europe convened a regional workshop to advance the harmonised collection and recording of statistical data on asset recovery (AR) and asset management (AM), addressing a longstanding gap in measuring the effectiveness of these systems. Reliable statistics - including data on assets that have been frozen, seized, confiscated, returned, or disposed of - are essential for operational authorities to demonstrate results and for policymakers to assess progress, identify challenges, and allocate resources effectively.
Over 40 participants from 15 EU beneficiary States and neighbouring jurisdictions gathered in Strasbourg, France, on 24 June 2026 to discuss international standards for the collection and maintenance of comprehensive asset recovery (AR) and asset management (AM) statistics, as well as the practical and institutional challenges associated with their implementation. Discussions highlighted common obstacles, including fragmented institutional mandates, inconsistent definitions and limited interoperability between data systems.
The workshop also provided an opportunity to present and discuss the Council of Europe's draft methodological procedures for statistical data collection. The proposed framework covers minimum and supplementary datasets as well as performance indicators, with the aim of promoting a harmonised approach to data collection and analysis. It seeks to establish clear definitions, standardised data elements and practical guidance for competent authorities throughout the asset recovery and asset management process.
As a next step, the Council of Europe will finalise the methodological procedures, incorporating feedback received during the workshop together with baseline information previously collected from prosecution services, Asset Recovery Offices, Asset Management Offices and Financial Intelligence Units across the 15 EU beneficiary States. The final methodology will be made available to the beneficiary States to support more consistent, comparable and effective statistical reporting throughout the asset recovery and asset management process.
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.
