EU and eight countries sign treaty to expand powers to freeze and confiscate criminal crypto assets

The protocol requires five ratifications, including three from Council of Europe member states, before taking effect, and the EU still needs further approval, including European Parliament consent. Signed in Strasbourg on October 14, 2026, by the EU plus Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and the UK, it modernizes the 2005 Warsaw Convention. It allows confiscation without conviction, urgent seizures without notice, and three-day deadlines for urgent asset-office requests. The Commission estimates only about 1% of criminal assets are recovered in the EU; sums over €10,000 are generally shared equally between participating states, with victims prioritized.

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