In January 2023, the Council of Europe began the implementation of the third phase of the European Union and Council of Europe Joint Programme ‘Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye’. The Horizontal Facility is a co-operation modality developed by the Council of Europe and the European Union to support compliance of Beneficiaries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo^*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye - with European standards and the EU acquis in the areas covered by the Facility. Under the first and second phase of the Horizontal Facility, support was provided to assist the Beneficiaries in bringing their policies, institutions, and practices further in line with the recommendations of the Council of Europe monitoring bodies and European standards. Efforts to further support the Beneficiaries in implementing sufficient reforms in the areas of rule of law, democracy, and human rights, will continue under the third phase of the Horizontal Facility.

In this phase of the Horizontal Facility, the Economic Crime and Cooperation Division of the Council of Europe will continue Actions against Economic Crime in Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and at the regional level. New Actions are also launched, in the field of prevention of corruption and anti-money laundering in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the countering of money laundering and terrorist financing in Türkiye. Over a period of four years, the Actions will support the Beneficiaries in their efforts  to follow up on the key recommendations of the Council of Europe’s monitoring bodies, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL), and complying with the requirements of the evolving EU acquis in the areas of anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).  

The Action against Economic Crime in Albania will continue supporting the institutions in enhancing legal and operational framework to effectively target corruption, and strengthening the capacities for preventive and law enforcement measures against money laundering and terrorist financing. 

In Montenegro, the Action will focus on countering corruption, particularly on increasing effectiveness and impartiality in processing high-level corruption cases by anti-corruption institutions and the criminal justice system. It will provide policy advice and build operational capacities for improving track-record in processing of money laundering cases.

Similarly, in North Macedonia, the Action will cover legislative and operational frameworks against corruption, as well as preventive and repressive measures to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. 

Action against Corruption, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Bosnia and Herzegovina will address shortcomings in the systems of conflict of interest and asset declaration, and support the capacities for AML/CFT supervision and enforcement of preventive measures, and seizure and confiscation of illicit assets.

In Türkiye, the Action will address comprehensively FATF recommendations and contribute to raising the effectiveness and consolidating the AML/CFT measures.

Finally, the regional Action will provide capacity building, advice, and opportunities for exchanges at the regional level in the areas of management of ML/FT risks associated with new technologies, and anti-corruption and AML/CFT response to environmental crime. In these areas, the regional Action will raise awareness about approaches and innovations developed in other jurisdictions, assess the current practices, and identify the regional typologies in order to offer policy recommendations, and provide a framework for co-operation and exchange of experiences between the Beneficiaries.