After the first edition on cybercrime, online fraud and e-evidence in 2024, this year’s Winter Academy focused on another topic of particular relevance to international cooperation and to the Western Balkan region: money laundering and asset recovery.

Over four days, participants engaged with presentations by various EU experts and participated in interactive sessions, practical exercises, and simulations aimed at strengthening their understanding of complex judicial cooperation mechanisms.

The training featured expert speakers and trainers from across Europe, including public prosecutors, the Liaison Prosecutor for North Macedonia at Eurojust, asset recovery officials, and specialists from Eurojust. The comprehensive training programme delved into the fundamentals of judicial cooperation, including the role of Eurojust in fostering international coordination, the support of WBCJ Project and the expertise of EU practitioners’ networks such as the European Judicial Network, the Focus group on asset recovery, the JITs Network and the latest strategies for tackling complex financial crime. Participants explored topics such as joint investigation teams, tools for asset tracing, recovery and management, the challenges of investigating complex money laundering and crypto assets. Practical exercises and simulations designed specifically for the training gave participants the opportunity to test their skills and knowledge, reinforcing their understanding of international cooperation and collaboration.