Page 95 - Supplemento 2-2016 (ENG)

Tackling Environmental Crime throUgh standardized Methodologies

to say only one thing about the law on eco-crimes, as we have carried out an
initial check on how the application of this law is going. First of all, there is the
issue of formation that needs to be addressed. Let us say, we have already
reported this finding. However, in the first eight months, 947 criminal offences
and administrative violations were ascertained, 1185 people were reported, 229
assets were confiscated to a value of 24 million euro, all data supplied, naturally,
by the forces of law enforcement. Therefore I believe that the law on eco-cri-
mes has been a milestone in this context. Special arms and special instruments
were needed by those tackling organised crime in the environmental field in
order to achieve the evolution that has taken place. But there are others that
must complete the framework, for example I see the Honourable Bratti, the
Honourable Realacci who wrote the reform bill for the regional agencies or
bodies that have to carry out the controls. There is a law that is currently under
debate: the law referring to land use. Note that the eco-mafie, organised crime,
environmental crime, call it what you will, thrive on corruption and we well
know that waste management and cement management, the cement cycle, have
always been two very important issues. Therefore making a law about land use
would mean defending and promoting building, positive building projects
aimed at urban regeneration and environmental sustainability, in the fight
against property speculation and corruption.

There is another law that must be made in this country: a law against ille-
gal, unauthorised building. We do not fight hard enough against this in Italy.
Last week, once again, a demolition company trying to do its job in Licata, had
to work under the escort of law enforcement officers. Certain things do not
happen in a normal country!

And then, as Pecoraro Scanio commented, there is the law on the agro-
mafie which is, however, more advanced and, with Caselli as its excellent tutor,
should rapidly achieve its goals. If this legislative framework were complete we
would take a great step forward towards the ecological conversion of the eco-
nomy, which, in the end, is one of the most important issues put forward by
Pope Francis in his encyclical.

Excuse me, I am moving forward quickly, but I want to introduce a broad-
based contribution, because this issue of ecology and economy, each placed,

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