PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Interpol and the United Nations Environment Programme estimate the cost of international environmental crime to be $213 billion (c. 180 billion) per year. This problem affects the EU as it does other regions. High levels of environmental crime can be partly attributed to inefficient and ineffective prosecution and sanctioning. Wildlife crime is notoriously difficult to prosecute because the law in this area is complex and because criminal circles are small, highly organised, closed and hard to penetrate. Chemical pollution and waste crimes also adversely impact biodiversity and many rivers in the EU are falling short of Water Framework Directive targets. Additionally, large-scale pollution incidents are complex, requiring transnational cooperation to successfully prosecute
OBJECTIVES
LIFE-ENPE's main objectives were to: build a self-sustaining network of environmental prosecutors; improve the collation and sharing of information on environmental crime; and improve capacity and consistency for combating transnational waste, wildlife and air pollution crimes. The project aimed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public bodies charged with tackling environmental crime, by building a transnationalnetwork of prosecutors and judges to enhance cooperation, share information and develop best practice. It planned to train prosecutors and judges, supported by case studies and training packages on adjudicating, sanctioning and prosecuting environmental crime. ENPE Working Groups would focus on waste, wildlife and air pollution crimes, and also address the uneven and inadequate implementation of EU environmental legislation.
RESULTS
LIFE ENPE built a self-sustaining network of environmental prosecutors, to improve collation and dissemination of information on environmental crime; and improve the capacity and consistency in Europe for combatting transnational waste, wildlife and air pollution crimes. The project teams key successes included the organisation of four annual conferences in conjunction with external partners, with a combined attendance of 550 legal professionals; and the growth of the network of environmental prosecutors to 41 members at the time of project close. ENPE directly supports the Environmental Crime Directive and Environmental Compliance Assurance initiative and it is a member of the EU Environmental Compliance and Governance Forum.
ENPE also indirectly supports a broad range of thematic EU directives related to the Working Group areas of interest, such as the Waste Framework Directive, air quality directives, the Birds Directive, and international agreements and treaties such as CITES, and the Bonn convention, as well as national legislation in the Member States through the reduction in wildlife, pollution and waste crimes.
All four ENPE Working Groups provided detailed guidance, training materials and recommendations for future action. Working Group 4 focused on advancing and aligning legislative and policy design, revision, implementation and communication. The activities of the other Working Groups were to act to influence specific items of policy, for example, the Evaluation of the Waste Shipment Regulation, and the Intergovernmental Task Force on the Illegal, Killing and Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds. The outreach, virtual training and dissemination activities engaged between 1 000 - 1 100 legal professions with the ENPE network across Europe and the world. Furthermore, 14 ENPE newsletters, providing updates, articles and case law examples relating to the prosecution of environmental crime, were issued to over 450 organisations and individuals across Europe over the course of the project.
The project resulted in the training of more than 70 judges and prosecutors across 20 countries, in addition to over 1 000 legal and/or technical specialists trained. It led to an improved take-up of best-practice approaches across Europe, with 5 completed environmental criminal cases using knowledge and contacts gained through the ENPE network (and further cases where the outcome is notyet known). There is now harmonised understanding of key environmental law concepts across Member States as a result of ENPE activity. The project also led to closer co-operation and collaboration between prosecutors across borders, evidenced through 35 incidents of ENPE-facilitated trans-national cooperation between prosecutors and judges within the network; and more effective prosecutions, with more than 60% of survey respondents agreeing that there was enhanced deterrence in their countries. An emerging benefit has also been identified in the global context, with improving Chinese, African, Latin American and North American networks links and ENPE network membership extending to Brazil and Morocco.
The project contributed to achieving the objectives of the LIFE Regulation and LIFE Multiannual Work Programme, by combatting environmental crime; the 7th Environment Action Programme, by protecting the EUs natural capital and improving implementation of environmental law; and the Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, by facilitating the enforcement of the Birds and Habitats Directives and providing training to judges and public prosecutors. The nature of the project was innovative, as no such organisation previously existed for environmental prosecutors in Europe. ENPE established a strong foundation for continuation through a Framework Partnership Agreement. The Brussels-based partners EUFJE and the ENPE business entity are well placed to continue disseminating project outcomes and lobbying EU policymakers.
ENPE aimed to reverse environmental crimes detrimental effects on socio-economic factors, by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the prosecutors and judges tasked with ensuring compliance with EU environmental laws. The projects socio-economic study forecast the following economic benefits: better trained judges and prosecutors, with a 10% increase in successful prosecutions; increased observance of EU Directives and reduced costs of tackling global international environmental crime; reduced time and cost of developing cases (valued as 10-20 million based on estimated enhanced efficiency in European cases); and reduced environmental crime (valued as 9-25 billion based on 10% of estimated global environmental crime 'worth').
Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).
