EMPACT financial investigations
18 October 2018
LIFE SMART Waste has been supporting EMPACT actions prioritising environmental crime by participating in operational activity relating to Financial Investigations (Environmental Crime, Strategic Goal 6) by referencing the project's Financial Risk Assessment Tool.
The EMPACT multi-annual Policy Cycle aims to, 'tackle the most important threats posed by organised and serious international crime to the EU in a coherent and methodological manner through improving and strengthening co-operation between the relevant services of the Member States, EU institutions and EU agencies as well as third countries and organisations, including the private sector where relevant' (Europol).
Strategic Goal 6 aims to combat environmental crime by, 'involving specialised financial investigators and prosecutors with the view to identify and disrupt financial flows, tackle money laundering and facilitate asset recovery'. In support of this, current operational activity is focused on developing the recommendations of the Environmental and Financial Expert Meeting 2016 (EFEM) into a handbook.
During 2018, LIFE SMART Waste representatives from SEPA have participated in a series of EMPACT meetings and workshops for EU Member State representatives held in Brussels (April, July and October). In support of this work, the LIFE SMART Waste project's Financial Risk Assessment Tool has been highlighted and disseminated to the EU Member State representatives in attendance via Europol's SIENA (Secure Information Exchange Network Application) platform.
A proposal to include and/or reference the LIFE SMART Waste project's Financial Risk Assessment Tool as part of the Financial Investigation manual for all Member States is currently under consideration.
Back to News and events