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Three networks conference, Oxford

2 October 2017

LIFE SMART Waste, represented by Simon Bingham (SEPA), presented an overview of the project’s progress in understanding and tackling issues related to waste crime during the joint networks conference in Oxford, 20-21 September, 2017.

The conference brought together members of networks involved in various parts of the environmental compliance chain to highlight and discuss practical solutions and best practice from Europe and beyond for the theme, ‘Tackling Waste and Wildlife Crime in Europe’.

Three networks of practitioners in the compliance chain - the EU Network for Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL), EU Network of Prosecutors for the Environment (ENPE) and the EU network of police officers focusing on tackling environmental crime (ENVI CrimeNet) – jointly hosted the conference. The host networks, working in close collaboration with the EU Forum of Judges for the Environment (EUFJE), welcomed 160 permitters, inspectors, police, prosecutors and judges from more than 30 European countries. Alternative perspectives were added by delegates from Australia, the United States of America and China, as well as representatives from the European Commission, academia, NGOs, Interpol, Europol, Eurojust and fellow networks such as THEMIS.

The conference raised important questions and shared answers to a variety of topics such as on sanctioning, air pollution and the use of drones and mobile technology to detect and prosecute illegal activities.

For more information, visit the conference and IMPEL websites.