The European Union (EU), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and Italian national authorities opened a high-level study mission dedicated to asset recovery, hosted by the Italian National Agency for the Administration and Destination of Assets Seized and Confiscated from Organised Crime (ANBSC). The event, took place from 10 to 12 February 2026 in Rome, was addressed to national officials from EU Eastern Neighbourhood countries (Armenia, Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan) working in the field of asset recovery, anti-corruption and anti-organised crime.
The study mission formed part of the EU’s long-standing support for strengthening asset recovery frameworks and practices, building on years of cooperation aimed at depriving organised crime of its illicit profits and ensuring that confiscated assets are returned to society in a transparent and socially beneficial manner.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Radica Nusdorfer, Team Leader for Good Governance and Human Development at the European Commission, Directorate-General for Enlargement and the Eastern Neighbourhood (DG ENEST), stressed that asset recovery is a cornerstone of the EU’s rule of law and anti-corruption agenda. She underlined that effective tracing, confiscation and management of criminal assets are essential not only to dismantle organised crime networks, but also to reinforce public trust in institutions.
Prefect Maria Rosaria Laganà, Director of the Agenzia Nazionale per l'amministrazione e la destinazione dei beni sequestrati e confiscati alla criminalità organizzata (ANBSC), presented Italy’s distinctive model for the management of seized and confiscated assets, and conveyed that “Italy bears a ‘sad privilege’ in having built strong and effective tools to counter organized crime through asset confiscation. The priority today is to rebalance what criminality has distorted by ensuring that confiscated assets are managed with full transparency and, whenever feasible, put to social or institutional use in the interest of the community, while safeguarding the rights of third parties.”
Mr. James Shaw, Senior Legal Officer at UNICRI, recalled that asset recovery remains one of the most complex areas of criminal justice, requiring specialised expertise, cross-border cooperation and strong institutional trust. He noted that EU-supported initiatives implemented by UNICRI have helped translate policy into operational cooperation, including through discussions on unexplained wealth and preventive confiscation, enabling practitioners to address real cases and systemic challenges more effectively.
Highlighting Italy’s long-standing expertise, Dr. Santina Lionetti, attached magistrate at the Italian Ministry of Justice, emphasized that “The fight against mafia-type organizations must adapt to a constantly evolving criminal reality. A fundamental aspect is the fight against “profit-driven crime” through the establishment of appropriate regulatory and operational tools for the investigation and confiscation of illegally obtained assets. In this field, Italy can make an important contribution to international cooperation, thanks to its long experience and extensive expertise.”
The study mission offered participants an in-depth yet practical overview of Italy’s asset recovery system across the full recovery chain, combining presentations on the legal framework for organised crime and confiscation — including preventive and non-conviction-based measures — with concrete insights from Mr. Pierre Casanova Moroni, who illustrated the work of Italy’s Asset Recovery Office and the use of international cooperation tools to trace assets across borders through real-life cases, with a view to supporting the transfer of proven approaches to other jurisdictions.
This study mission stood as a further demonstration of the EU’s commitment to ensuring that crime does not pay, and that recovered assets are returned to society in ways that reinforce justice, development and the rule of law.
For more information, please see: Asset Recovery and Illicit Financial Flows | UNICRI :: United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute
