The disposal of confiscated assets in the EU Member States: what works, what does not work and what is promising

There is a lack of knowledge about legislation and practices regarding the disposal of confiscated assets in the EU. Recently, some European Union institutions have more closely scrutinized the issue by showing interest toward a form of disposal which involves giving the criminal proceeds back to the communities affected by crime and using them in line with communal needs: social reuse. This chapter contributes to exploration of this topic by responding to these questions. How are confiscated assets disposed of across the Member States? In particular, what does not work (key obstacles) and what works (best practices)? Is social reuse a promising option? It presents the results of the EU funded project RECAST - REuse of Confiscated Assets for social purposes: towards common EU Standards.