THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME AND CORRUPTION
Keywords:
environmental crime, corruption, prevention, harmonization, improvementAbstract
Environmental crime brings big profits to organized criminal groups. This is especially present in the area of trade in illegal waste. In doing so, the legal sector is often used in order to make a profit in an illegal way. The connection with corrupt activities is particularly pronounced due to the transnational nature of environmental crime. Corrupt public officials, weak institutions and state bodies responsible for various issues in the field of environmental protection additionally contribute to this. As some of the examples of corruption in the field of hazardous waste disposal, corruption in the procedure of licensing waste disposal facilities or granting a permit for transporting hazardous waste can be cited. In addition, in the process of detecting illegally dumped waste, regulators can be offered incentives to ignore illegal dumping.
Criminal acts against the environment cause enormous damage to the environment, thus endangering the life and health of citizens. Therefore, corruption in the field of environmental protection can be considered particularly dangerous. That is why it is necessary to take preventive measures, especially in the field of corruption prevention. This attitude is also expressed in the new Directive on environmental protection through criminal law 2024/1203.
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to point out the emerging forms of corruption in the field of environmental protection, as well as the need for its prevention. Considering that the Republic of Serbia needs to harmonize its legislation with Directive 2024/1203, it is necessary to keep in mind that this does not only imply harmonization of the provisions of criminal procedural and substantive legislation, but also other regulations that prevent corruption. Considering that the aforementioned directive emphasizes the importance of whistleblowers in the field of environmental protection, it is necessary to improve their position through national legislation.
Design/Methods/Approach
Apart from the introductory part, which indicates the causes and phenomenology of the environment, the paper analyzes the content of both the EUROPOL and INTERPOL reports, as well as Directive 2024/1203 on environmental protection through criminal law. However, in that part we focus exclusively on the connection between corruption and environmental crime, with the aim of providing recommendations for its prevention in the aforementioned area.
Findings, Originality/Value
Based on the analysis, we try to give recommendations for harmonizing national legislation, but also practices with European standards in the field of combating corruption related to environmental crime.
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