A workshop designed to raise awareness of the European Union (EU) legal framework on the registers of Beneficial Ownership and to showcase comparative practices and examples from EU Member States concerning policy, legal, and technical considerations for the establishment of such registers was organized on 28-29 November 2023 in Igman, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Funded under the umbrella of the European Union/Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye III, the workshop represents the first in a series of envisaged activities within the framework of the Action against Corruption, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, aimed at supporting the efforts of the relevant authorities in ensuring that registers of Beneficial Ownership in Bosnia and Herzegovina entail adequate, accurate, and up-to-date information.

The workshop featured presentations by a subject matter expert for the Council of Europe, which covered beneficial ownership disclosure requirements and showcased models of Beneficial Ownership Registers from selected EU Member States. Additionally, representatives from the Danish Business Authority provided insights into the legal and policy aspects of the Beneficial Ownership Register in Denmark and shared practical examples of data verification techniques and methods to ensure the effectiveness of the register. Participating state- and entity-level institutions had the opportunity to present the current state of beneficial ownership registers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The discussions aimed to identify challenges, opportunities, and potential next steps to prevent the misuse of legal entities for money laundering or terrorist financing.

The workshop was organised within the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye – Phase III: Action against Corruption, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Bosnia and Herzegovina."