Judicial

#32026D0452Commission Decision (EU) 2026/452 setting up the cooperation network on asset recovery and confiscation

🇪🇺European Union··Other·Medium Impact·View source ↗

AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.

🇬🇧 English

This Commission Decision formally establishes a permanent expert group called the cooperation network on asset recovery and confiscation. The group consists of representatives from Member States' Asset Recovery Offices (AROs) and Asset Management Offices (AMOs), plus Europol. Its main purposes are to advise the Commission on the implementation of Directive (EU) 2024/1260, exchange best practices, and improve practical cooperation between national offices and Europol in tracing, freezing, managing and confiscating criminal assets. The network operates under standard Commission expert group rules, is chaired by the Commission (with Europol co-chairing when appropriate), meets on Commission or Europol premises, and emphasizes transparency through public registration and document publication.

AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.

Key Changes

  • Establishes permanent expert group (cooperation network) pursuant to Article 29 of Directive (EU) 2024/1260
  • Membership includes all Member States' Asset Recovery Offices (Art. 5) and Asset Management Offices (Art. 22) plus Europol
  • Tasks: advise Commission on implementation, exchange best practices, and facilitate operational cooperation among AROs, AMOs and Europol

+ 3 more changes with Pro

Obligations

What this law requires

high

Member States must nominate representatives from their Asset Recovery Offices and Asset Management Offices to participate in the cooperation network, ensuring these representatives possess a high level of expertise

Member States' authorities (Asset Recovery Offices and Asset Management Offices)
operational
high

Members of the group, their representatives, invited experts, and observers must comply with professional secrecy obligations under the Treaties and Commission rules, and with Commission Decisions (EU, Euratom) 2015/443 and 2015/444 regarding protection of Union classified information

Group members, representatives, invited experts, and observers
prohibition
high

The group must register in the Register of Commission expert groups and publish member names, observer names, agendas, minutes, and participants' submissions either on the Register or via dedicated website link

Commission (for registration and publication administration)
disclosure
medium

Agendas and background documents must be published in due time ahead of meetings, followed by timely publication of minutes

Commission (as secretariat provider)
disclosure
medium

The group must draft meaningful and complete minutes on discussion points and opinions delivered, drafted by the secretariat under responsibility of the Chair

Commission secretariat and group Chair
reporting

Affected Parties

Member States' Asset Recovery OfficesMember States' Asset Management Offices+5 more…

Tags

asset recovery,asset confiscation,AROs