Page 4 - Supplemento 2-2016 (ENG)

Presentation

Furthermore, Italy, as a country rich in natural heritage with a unique lan-
dscape which is universally acknowledged and appreciated, is particularly sub-
ject to such risks. Unfortunately, certain areas are threatened by determined cri-
minal groups which are ruthlessly attempting to accumulate wealth through
control of the natural environment in that area.

For these reasons, environmental issues have rightly become fundamen-
tally important in the political programmes both of our country and of the
international community.

We are facing crimes which we could describe as “environmental violen-
ce”, in that they go beyond basic infringements of rules and regulations. For
this reason it is our duty to use all our energies to make sure that environmental
crime is halted.

We must fight this battle in an uncompromising way, and we must also
take full advantage of the reorganisation of the State Forestry Department
within the Carabinieri Corps as provided for in the so-called “Legge Madia”,
law number 124 of 7 August 2015 and implemented by the Decree-Law num-
ber 177 of 19 August 2016.

This decision was based on a realisation of the considerable common
ground which exists between the two institutions, both in terms of their pre-
sence in the country, and their involvement in the environmental and food far-
ming sectors, and on the need to merge them in order to make savings and
improve efficiency, as required by the reform.

The Carabinieri Corps, which is a police force with broad areas of respon-
sibility and a presence in all areas of the country, has 105,000 officers and 5,000
military districts. For decades its specialised units have developed a unique awa-
reness of food safety, the landscape and the environment, which has contribu-
ted to the sense of protection which is a distinctive feature of the force.

This is the reason why, after the extraordinary successes of NAS (the
Anti-adulteration and Health Unit) and NTPC (National Heritage Protection
Unit), the Carabinieri Corps created NOE, the Nucleo Operativo Ecologico
(Ecological Operative Unit), with inter-provincial responsibility.

The Unit, created within the Ministry of Environment that is also respon-
sible for its operation, is expected to tackle the spread of environmental crimes,

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