Unified State Register of Seized Assets: Updates from ARMA in 2025

Author: Maryna Pokotylo, Partner at F&P

Starting in 2025, Ukraine plans significant updates to the functioning of the Unified State Register of Seized Assets (USRSA). This decision is part of a comprehensive reform aimed at combating corruption and ensuring transparency in the management of assets seized within criminal cases. The register’s update, initiated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (ARMA), aims to make this tool more effective and accessible to all stakeholders, including state authorities, businesses, and citizens.

What is the Unified State Register of Seized Assets?

The Unified State Register of Seized Assets (USRSA) is a system containing information about assets seized within criminal proceedings and controlled by law enforcement, particularly in relation to suspected crimes or illegal possession of property. This register helps track the movement of such assets, ensuring their confiscation or removal in accordance with court decisions.

Currently, the register is a vital tool in the fight against corruption and the illegal circulation of property, aiding law enforcement in managing assets and ensuring their transfer to state ownership or confiscation.

ARMA’s updates to the register

Starting in 2025, the following changes are planned according to the new legislation:

1. Expanded access to information: The updated register will be open to the public, allowing any citizen, business, or organization to check whether certain individuals or companies have seized assets. This will enhance control over the use of seized property and reduce the risks of its illegal circulation.
2. Modernization of technologies: The introduction of new information technologies and data management systems will significantly accelerate the process of entering and updating information about seized assets. All changes and updates in the register will be reflected in real time, ensuring quicker responses to changes in seizure situations.
3. Increased integration with other registers and systems: An important step is the integration of the USRSA with other state registers. This will allow the automatic tracking of seized assets in various areas (real estate, transport, corporate rights, etc.), creating a unified database to identify illegally acquired or improperly transferred assets.
4. Implementation of control mechanisms: The updated register will include stricter control mechanisms over the data entry process, as well as opportunities to verify the accuracy and authenticity of information. This will help minimize corruption risks and reduce the number of errors in asset registration.

Expected benefits from the updates

1. Reduction of corruption risks: Public access to the register will prevent manipulation of seized assets and reduce the opportunities for corruption among those managing such assets.
2. Enhanced trust in state institutions: Transparency regarding seized assets will foster increased public trust in law enforcement and the judiciary.
3. Combating illegal asset circulation: The new system will improve tracking of assets and prevent their illegal transfer, which is a key element in fighting economic crime.
4. Attracting investors: With the openness and transparency provided by the new system, investors will have more confidence in the Ukrainian market, knowing that assets with legal issues will be openly registered.

Challenges and risks

1. Technical difficulties: Implementing the new system may be associated with technical problems, such as adapting legacy data or ensuring stable operation of new information systems. This could lead to delays in the functioning of the register.
2. Privacy protection: Public access to data on seized assets may raise concerns about the privacy of the asset owners, especially in cases of wrongful seizures or errors in the system.
3. Abuse of the register: It is possible that criminals could exploit the register to search for assets subject to seizure or confiscation, manipulating or obstructing the process.

Conclusions

The update to the Unified State Register of Seized Assets is an important step toward ensuring transparency and efficiency in managing assets under seizure. The implementation of new technologies and expanded access to information has significant potential in combating corruption, illegal asset circulation, and increasing trust in state institutions. However, it is essential to ensure a balance between transparency and the protection of citizens’ private rights to prevent the new system from becoming an instrument for abuse or violations of human rights.