On 13 July 2026, the European Commission proposed a Council decision authorising the EU to sign an additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (Warsaw Convention). The Protocol, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 15 May 2026 and opening for signature on 14 October 2026, aims to strengthen international cooperation against money laundering and terrorist financing. It introduces measures such as Financial Intelligence Unit suspension powers, centralised bank account mechanisms, and enhanced asset recovery rules including confiscation and asset management offices. The EU, which signed the Warsaw Convention on 2 April 2009 but has not yet ratified it, can sign the Protocol as a party to the Convention.
The Commission will submit separate proposals for concluding both the Protocol and the Warsaw Convention.
The Protocol is fully compatible with existing EU law, notably Directive (EU) 2024/1640 (AMLD6) and Directive (EU) 2024/1260 on asset recovery. The legal basis for the signing decision is Article 218(5) TFEU. The Protocol will enter into force three months after five signatories, including at least three Council of Europe member states, have consented to be bound. The proposal now awaits consideration by the Council of the European Union.