Page 171 - Supplemento 2-2016 (ENG)

Tackling Environmental Crime throUgh standardized Methodologies

Italian Republic: the National Prosecutor can access all the documents related
to Criminal Records. What does this allow us to do? Without having to ask
permission to access such systems, it allows us the direct acquisition of a series
of information related also to waste trafficking. Then we can elaborate this
information with our database, with our systems and send this elaboration as a
sort of impulse to act to the District Prosecutors. It is our hope that the
District Prosecutors, as I said earlier, will develop a higher awareness for these
phenomena. It comes to my mind the investigation in Potenza (Basilicata
Region) related to the illegal waste disposal of liquids originating from extrac-
tion activities in the Val d’Agri area.

In the oil extraction activities of the Val d’Agri area (Basilicata Region)
there was an investigation brilliantly carried out by NOE (Ecologic Operative
Unit within Carabinieri Corps) - and I am happy to state this at the presence of
General Pascali who is the commander of this investigation Unit- in coopera-
tion with the determination of my colleagues from Potenza Prosecutor’s
Office. I do hope that this investigation system, this interaction between
District Prosecutor’s Office and specialised Police Bodies, will continue and
even expand. I can guarantee, also with regard to the circulation of information
on a European level, the maximum willingness from the National Anti-mafia
Directorate.

We have a constant link with EUROJUST and a contact with EUROPOL
via EUROJUST. Yesterday I visited UNODC in Vienna and assisted our
Minister of Justice in a meeting with Dr FEDOTOV, UNODC President, in
which we discussed also about the issue of the evolution of criminal organisa-
tions. Such evolution highlights, on the one hand, lack in structure, on the other
hand, a major, more dangerous and pervading expansion on an institutional
and legal economy level. Waste trafficking and environmental criminality, toge-
ther with food farming criminality, which must be included in the action of
contrast to environmental criminality, were object of our reflection. On that
occasion we were assured the highest attention also at the level of such an
important international body.

Finally, having to reach a prospective vision for the future, I believe that
such approach can only be positive in light of the interaction within all the

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