From May 21 to 23, 2025, the fifth meeting of the Committee of Experts on the Return of Criminal Assets (PC-RAC) was held in Strasbourg. This specialized body of the Council of Europe is tasked with drafting an Additional Protocol to the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime.

The meeting was chaired by Cornel Călinescu, Head of Romania’s National Agency for the Management of Seized Assets (ANABI). ARMA was represented by Vladyslav Zhornytskyi, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and European Integration.

During the meeting, the experts came to an agreement on the key provisions of the future Protocol, removed contentious articles, and outlined a roadmap for finalizing the document. The next meeting is scheduled for autumn 2025 and will focus on completing the draft text.

ARMA’s participation in the development of European standards confirms Ukraine’s recognized expertise in the field of asset recovery and underscores the country’s growing role in shaping the international regulatory framework.