The Final Frontier of the ‘Crime Does Not Pay’ Principle in EU Law: Managing Frozen and Confiscated Assets

Abstract This paper critically examines the provisions on the management of frozen and confiscated assets, as well as the role and functioning of Asset Management Offices (AMOs), set out in Directive 2024/1260 of the European Union. The paper examines how Directive 2024/1260 reshapes the management of frozen and confiscated assets in the EU, and to what extent it strengthens the operationalisation of the ‘crime does not pay’ principle. The new Directive significantly expands the roles and powers of AMOs, reflecting their importance in the EU’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) framework. The paper explores the objectives, responsibilities, powers, and guiding principles governing AMOs. It concludes that Directive 2024/1260 strengthens the institutional framework for AMOs, but future success will depend on how effectively Member States and EU institutions translate legislative ambition into operational reality, particularly through sustained investment in capacity-building, stronger oversight of national practices, and deeper cross-border collaboration.