THE PROJECT LIFE+ SATEC PROJECT AND ENVICRIMENET IN THE AGENDA OF THE MEMBERS OF THE EU PARLIAMENT

Marie Toussaint, member of the European Parliament, has received, in a conference online, the technical Coordinator of the LIFE+ SATEC Project and President of EnviCrimeNet, Miguel Ángel Godoy,. This meeting grouped a high number of European organizations working in the field of the environmental protection (other law enforcement agencies, like OCLAESP, GNR, and NGOs).

On the part of Life+ SATEC Project, the main point of discussion was the need to evaluate the European Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law and the need to give due importance to this Priority in the next EU Policy Cycle – EMPACT. The challenge is to consider a wider concept of fighting against the environmental crime going beyond to the current focus on waste and wildlife trafficking.

Debate is on. At this point, LIFE+ SATEC Project members are now working to integrate the criminal and investigation scope in the regulatory framework. Moreover, this Project will contribute through the advisement to European institutions for the harmonization of legislative measures in different Member States.

For that, the LIFE+ SATEC Project relies also on the important actors specialised in tackling environmental crime: Europol, CEPOL, Eurojust. These organizations add capacities, specializations and common procedures to respond effectively to the environmental crime.

The activities of this Project have a global impact for the world biodiversity, as it also involves to third countries from Europa and outside Europe, through established networks such as Jaguar in Latin American countries, or similar networks to be enhanced in African countries.

All these contributions represent the added value of LIFE+ SATEC Project to the European policies in the area of the environmental crime.