Page 69 - Supplemento 2-2016 (ENG)

Tackling Environmental Crime throUgh standardized Methodologies

me the third most profitable source and in many parts of the world, militia and
terrorist groups partly fund their operations through wildlife trafficking.

The Action Plan is not the only tool available to EU member states: they
can also adopt sanctions, inspections and most importantly citizens’ surveillan-
ce. Cooperation and coordination among law enforcement agencies is absolu-
tely vital in the fight against environmental crime. The fact that in Italy, for
example, we have a specialised police force dedicated to this proves how impor-
tant and sensitive this issue is to many countries. I therefore believe the
TECUM project is extremely precious and it should be extended to other EU
states and beyond. Among other important actors in this field we have
Europol, which plays a very important role by carrying out cross-border inve-
stigations on transnational organized crime.

Alongside CEPOL, which is the EU training centre for law enforcement
officers on issues vital to the security of the European Union and its citizens.
We also have the ENVI CrimeNet, a network of judges focusing on tackling
environmental crime. All such organisations need to be supported and develo-
ped. But as we all know, the EC is not an implementation agency.

We also work with IMPEL, the EU Network of environmental practitio-
ners, as well as with ENPE, the EU Network of Prosecutors for the
Environment. It is imperative to share all information in order to improve
implementation. This is the big picture. However, one particular and very impor-
tant case is the one related to waste management. What can the EC do in this
regard? We have signed an international convention which bans the export of
hazardous wastes to non-OECD countries (“Basel ban”) as well as the export
of waste for disposal. But we have to ensure that on a local, regional and natio-
nal level all such provisions are guaranteed, through law enforcers’ inspections.

We have a huge responsibility and each member state needs to be proac-
tive in this fight, so that all environmental standards are met.

And projects like TECUM and conferences such as this one, once again,
prove the urgency and commitment we all feel towards the environment. We
seem to be on the right path.

Thank you.

67