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COUNCIL OFBrussels, 20 May 2011 THE EUROPEAN UNION
10291/11
ENFOPOL 152 ENV 368
"I/A" ITEM NOTE
From: General Secretariat
To: COREPER/Council
No prev. doc.: 8011/2/11 REV 2 ENFOPOL 70 ENV 221
Subject: Draft Council Resolution on the creation of an informal network for countering environmental crime - "EnviCrimeNet"
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1.Following the expert-level conference of the Augias Project held in Budapest
on 24 and 25 March 2011, where an informal platform for countering environmental-related
crimes called "EnviCrimeNet" was launched, the Law Enforcement Working Party at its
meetings on 5 April and 13 May 2011 discussed the Presidency's proposal to adopt a draft
Council Resolution on the creation of such a network, and agreed to this proposal aiming to
give more impetus to this specific area of law enforcement cooperation.
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2.On this basis, COREPER is requested to invite the Council to adopt the draft Council
Resolution on the creation of an informal network for countering environmental crime -
"EnviCrimeNet" as set out in annex.
ANNEX
Draft Council Resolution on the creation of an informal network for countering
environmental crime - "EnviCrimeNet"
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
UNDERLINING that environmental crime in general and illegal waste trafficking in particular are
serious offences because they pose a threat to the environment and public health, and are often
characterised by their international and cross-border nature,
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the guidelines of the Stockholm Programme an open and secure
Europe serving and protecting citizens aiming to provide a safe environment, protect citizens
and promote greater civil protection of society as well as its general aim of enhancing and fostering
a law enforcement cooperation, in particular, to combat forms of crime that are typically
cross-border in nature,
ACKNOWLEDGING that the various instruments and seminars and coordinated enforcement
actions in the field of waste trafficking have already brought about tangible results,
HAVING REGARD to the work achieved during the AUGIAS Project funded by the European
Commission ,
BEARING IN MIND that Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the
Council on shipments of waste and Directive 2008/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council on the protection of the environment through criminal law establishes common rules on
criminal offences which make it possible to use effective methods of investigation and assistance
within and between Member States,
REITERATING the importance of the powers conferred on Europol and EUROJUST in the field of
environmental crime, and on other international bodies such as INTERPOL and the UNODC,
WELCOMING the results of the AUGIAS Project including the development of a manual and
a pocket book ("photo pocket") aimed at helping European law enforcement officers to implement
European legislation with regard to international waste transport,
TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the outcome of the expert-level conference of the AUGIAS Project
held on 24 and 25 March 2010, which favoured the creation of an informal European network
supported by Europol to combat environmental crime with a cross-border nature - "EnviCrimeNet",
CONVINCED that "EnviCrimeNet", which will benefit from the analytical skills and know-how of
Europol, will be an appropriate platform and forum for exchanging non-operational information and
experiences with a view to combating effectively and efficiently environment-related cross-border
WELCOMES the creation of an informal network for countering environmental crime
called "EnviCrimeNet", supported by Europol, with the overall aim of combating environment-
related crime, in particular through the following objectives and measures:
· ensuring that Member States become aware of countering environmental crime at a strategic
level;
· identifying criminal networks suspected of being involved in illicit waste trafficking in order
to determine the links between such networks and other forms of (organised) crime and to
identify routes, destinations, modi operandi and trends and types of criminal activities;
· identifying the indicators of cross-border or even domestic criminal activity in connection
with environmental crime;
· improving the exchange of information and the gathering of criminal intelligence as well as
carrying out risk and threat assessment studies on a regular basis;
· gathering and sharing information on trends in environmental crime in close cooperation with
the different national and international stakeholders;
· training officers and exchanging best practices.
ENCOURAGES the Member States to participate in the informal network,
ENCOURAGES the competent law enforcement authorities of the Member States to collaborate
more closely at EU level in countering environmental crime, in particular illegal waste trafficking,
ENCOURAGES the competent law enforcement authorities and authorities responsible for the
protection of environment of the Member States to coordinate their actions in countering
environment-related crimes having a cross-border nature,
CALLS ON the Member States to systematically use Europol's Secure Information Exchange
Network Application (SIENA) for exchanging operational information on environment-related
crime within the framework of the current EU and national legislation,
NOTES that the Netherlands, in close cooperation with Europol, has volunteered to provide
administrative support during the setting up of "EnviCrimeNet", acting as the first rotating
secretariat of the network,
INVITES "EnviCrimeNet" to fully benefit from the Europol Platform for Expert (EPE) - a secure
online forum for exchanging knowledge and best practices,
INVITES Europol to help to coordinate the activities of "EnviCrimeNet" in the fight against
environmental crime,
INVITES Europol to consider the establishment of a dedicated focal point for environmental crime
as part of the possible upcoming implementation of the revised AWF concept,
INVITES CEPOL to create a common curriculum on minimum training standards for all senior law
enforcement staff engaged in countering environmental crime,
RECOMMENDS that the competent structures of the Council are informed about the activities of
"EnviCrimeNet" on a regular basis.
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