Between April 15 and 18, 2024, the first study trip for students of the Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Business Criminal Law took place, led by Prof. Dr. Konstantina Papathanasiou, LL.M., Chair of Business Criminal Law, Compliance and Digitalization.

The excursion began with a visit to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, where the group was welcomed by Domenik Wanger, the Permanent Representative of the Principality of Liechtenstein. This exchange provided the students with first-hand insights into the functioning and political processes of this important European institution. In addition, the agenda included presentations by Andrew Le Brun (Deputy Executive Secretary) and Ana Boskovic (Program Manager), who provided the students with detailed information on the work of MONEYVAL. This expert committee of the Council of Europe focuses on combating money laundering and terrorist financing and supports the implementation of effective legal and institutional frameworks in this area.

On the second day, the group traveled by train to Paris, where they spent several hours with Maurice Hartmann, an attorney at Schindhelm Paris. Hartmann introduced the students to topics in French business crimes, criminal procedure law, and corporate law, supplemented by insights from his practical experience. This session also offered ample opportunity for comparative discussions on different legal systems.

The following day, the students visited the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) in Paris. Sandra Andersson (Cooperation Officer) first explained the general role of the authority. This was followed by in-depth presentations by Gregory Frigo (Senior Policy Officer) and Eoghan O’Neill (Policy Officer) on the area of prospectus law.

The cultural highlight of the day was a visit to the Musée Carnavalet, which presents the history of the city of Paris. Here, Jean-Jacques Le Barbier’s significant painting Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen was the focal point of attention.

On the last day of their trip, the group took the Eurostar to London. At the University of London, the students attended a captivating lecture by financial crimes expert Simon Lord, who shared his insights and experiences on “Criminal Decision Making” and specific AML aspects.

To conclude, the students presented in two groups on topics related to the trip:

• The recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
• The MONEYVAL report for Liechtenstein

The trip not only gave the students the opportunity to deepen their expertise but also promoted getting to know one another and growing together as a team. We are already looking forward to the next trip in September.