Evaluation of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities Associated with EU Efforts to Combat Environmental Crime

1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. Area 1: Data and information management (MS/EU)
3.1     Introduction
3.2     Strengths
3.3     Weaknesses
3.4     Opportunities
3.5     Threats
3.6     Conclusions

4. Area 2: Further harmonisation of substantive environmental criminal law at EU level (excluding sanctions)
4.1     Introduction
4.2     Strengths
4.3     Weaknesses
4.4     Opportunities
4.5     Threats
4.6     Conclusions

5. Area 3: System of sanctions (administrative vs. criminal vs. civil proceedings at MS/EU level)
5.1     Introduction
5.2     Strengths
5.2.1   More administrative sanctions in the instrument mix
5.2.2   Often effective sanctions in statutes
5.2.3   Often complementary sanctions
5.3     Weaknesses
5.3.1   Enforcement instrument mix not always optimal
5.3.2   Lacking information on proportionality in practice
5.3.3   Complementary sanctions insufficiently developed?
5.4     Opportunities
5.4.1   Procedural: actions at different levels
5.4.2   Increasing the use of administrative and civil sanctions
5.4.3   Guidelines to increase the effectiveness of sanctions
5.4.4   Increasing use of complementary sanctions
5.5     Threats
5.5.1   Insufficient support and budget cuts
5.5.2   Lacking data on enforcement practice
5.6     Conclusions

6. Area 4: Functioning of enforcement institutions and cooperation between them (MS/EU level)
6.1     Introduction
6.2     Strengths
6.2.1   Criminal enforcement institutions (Member State level)
6.2.2   Cooperation between criminal and administrative institutions (Member State level)
6.2.3   Trans-boundary cooperation
6.3     Weaknesses
6.3.1   Criminal enforcement institutions (Member State level)
6.3.2   Cooperation between criminal and administrative institutions (Member State level)
6.3.3   Trans-boundary cooperation
6.4     Opportunities
6.5     Threats
6.6     Conclusions

7. Area 5: The role of the victims of environmental crime and civil society
7.1     Introduction
7.2     Strengths
7.3     Weaknesses
7.4     Opportunities
7.5     Threats
7.6     Conclusions

8. Area 6: External dimension of environmental crime – what can EU do (EU only)
8.1     Introduction
8.2     Strengths
8.2.1   International Instruments and their Enforcement
8.2.2   Actors and Institutions
8.2.3   Toolbox: Information, Databases, Legal Assistance and Judicial Cooperation Instruments, Cooperation to development
8.3     Weaknesses
8.3.1   International Instruments and their enforcement
8.3.2   Actors and Institutions
8.3.3   Toolbox: Databases, Legal Assistance and Judicial Cooperation Instruments, Cooperation to development
8.4     Opportunities
8.4.1   International Instruments and their enforcement
8.4.2   Actors and Institutions
8.4.3   Toolbox: Databases, Legal Assistance and Judicial Cooperation Instruments, Cooperation to development
8.5     Threats
8.5.1   International Instruments and their enforcement
8.5.2   Actors and Institutions
8.5.3   Toolbox
8.6     Conclusions

9. Area 7: Use of environmental liability (EU/MS)
9.1     Introduction
9.2     Strengths
9.3     Weaknesses
9.4     Opportunities
9.5     Threats
9.6     Conclusions

10. Area 8: Organised environmental crime
10.1   Introduction
10.2   Strengths
10.3   Weaknesses
10.4   Opportunities
10.5   Threats
10.6   Conclusions

11. Area 9: Corporate responsibility and liability in relation to environmental crime
11.1   Introduction
11.1.1 Corporate Social Responsibility
11.1.2 Market incentives
11.1.3 Binding approaches indirectly preventing environmental crime
11.1.4 Corporate liability for damages directly linked to environmental crimes (civil-like)
11.1.5 Criminal liability for environmental crimes
11.1.6 Civil liability for crimes that occurred outside the EU
11.2   Strengths
11.2.1 Voluntary CSR initiatives can help reinforcing compliance with existing law
11.2.2 Existing approximation at EU level on liability for environmental crime
11.2.3 Some actions for human rights violations committed abroad
11.3   Weaknesses
11.3.1 No explicit mention of environmental crime within existing CSR initiatives
11.3.2 CSR standards do not include certification by opposition to other voluntary initiatives
11.3.3 It remains very difficult for victims from outside the EU to sue EU corporations for environmental crimes also committed outside the EU
11.4   Opportunities
11.4.1 Renewal of the EU strategy for CSR
11.4.2 The EMAS Regulation goes further than CSR initiatives
11.4.3 The new Public Procurement Directives contain new clauses relating to compliance with environmental law
11.4.4 There are initiatives to create binding provisions associated with liability and linked to CSR
11.4.5 Existing examples in certain countries widening the liability of corporations for crimes committed abroad
11.5   Threats
11.5.1 Risk of “creative compliance” regarding environmental laws
11.5.2 Balance of interests may not play in favour of measures reinforcing liability
11.5.3 Difficulties linked to the extension of jurisdiction
11.6   Conclusions

12. Conclusions
12.1   Introduction
12.2   Taking the SWOT analysis forward
12.2.1 Key opportunities
12.2.2 EU level
12.2.3 Member State level
12.2.4 International level

13. References