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Policing environmental crimes in Europe - lessons learned from France, Spain and Sweden
Thu, September 4, 5:30 to 6:45pm, Communications Building (CN), CN 2111Abstract
The presentation is based on a comparative analysis of three case studies on environmental crime enforcement in France, Spain, and Sweden. In Europe, there is a growing momentum to introduce and/or intensify significant changes within police services to prioritise environmental crime enforcement, particularly in terms of structure and setting up dedicated units, resource allocation, quality and completeness of investigations, and enhanced collaboration within a broader policing network. The proposed policy initiatives under the European Green Deal, which aim to accelerate the green transition among EU member states with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, are likely to result in more stringent environmental legislation. The same applies to the revised European Environmental Crime Directive, which was adopted on 11 April 2024.
This presentation is based on a research project commissioned by the Dutch Police Academy through their Police & Science Programme. The project aimed to explore environmental crime enforcement in other EU countries and share the lessons learned to inform police practices in the Netherlands. The presentation examines the points of convergence and divergence between the three countries and discusses various factors that shape the varying quality of police responses and approaches to environmental crimes. These factors include for example a country’s geographical location, police-farmer relationships, the involvement of military police (gendarmerie), collaboration with civil society, trade-offs in international partnerships, infrastructure for environmental crime “traceability,” and expertise in assessing the economic impact of environmental crimes, among others.