Page 219 - Supplemento 2-2016 (ENG)

Tackling Environmental Crime throUgh standardized Methodologies

crime investigations. The experience gathered during the investigations carried
out by Carabinieri units shows that new forms of crimes, such as environmen-
tal crime, require the same general approach followed during complex investi-
gations on major trans-national crimes or on organised criminal groups, com-
bined with a specific and tailored “modus operandi” which takes in considera-
tion the specificity of this criminal phenomena;

- support the planning and the conduct of a second major European
Joint Police Operation on environmental crime open to the participation of
“third Countries”, notably those included in the EU enlargement and neighbo-
ring policies, implemented with newly outlined best practices, trained personnel
and reinforced investigative methodologies.

In conclusion, the TECUM objectives tends to establish and strengthen
the international cooperation by providing new operational means, raising awa-
reness and promoting a common operational language. Today’s event represents
the main Conference at the beginning of the activities where we can present the
outcome of the first phase - analysis of the joint police operation - and launch
an awareness campaign, aimed at spreading among practitioners and general
public the knowledge about environmental crime dangers. In your folder, you
can find a questionnaire which is as a part of the awareness campaign aimed at
enhancing your comprehension of the different aspects of this offence among
which the involvement of organized crime. The questionnaire outcome will be
analyzed and commented by the project team and disseminated at a later stage.

The document can be also filled up directly on the TECUM website.
Initial Lessons Learned on the Joint Police Operation Waste Trafficking
have shown the need of standardized methodologies between Member States
(and, potentially third countries) to effectively tackle the environmental crime
due to its transnational nature. Another important lesson learned we have
assessed is the importance of interagency cooperation: at an international and
national level, as I will explain later, it is essential to apply and use multidiscipli-
nary and technical legislation in the field of environmental protection. The
range of these investigations, actually, comprises, at one time, pollution and
trafficking in waste. Therefore the need of a multidisciplinary team is funda-
mental to take effective measures against these illicit forms of crime.

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