“Environmental crime – contemporary challenges for law enforcement agencies and the Inspection of Environmental Protection” Conference

2021-04-16

On April 15, 2021, the National Scientific Conference “Environmental crime – contemporary challenges for law enforcement agencies and the Inspection of Environmental Protection” took place via means of remote communication. The event was organized as part of cooperation undertaken by the Ministry of Climate and Environment, the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection and the Institute of Justice.

The aim of the conference was to discuss the most important issues related to the fight against environmental crime in Poland, both in practical and theoretical terms. The conference was divided into three panels. It was officially inaugurated by Jacek Ozdoba, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Climate and Environment, and acting Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection, Marek Chibowski.

In the first panel, the scientists took the floor and discussed the issue from a theoretical perspective. The opening speech of Dr. Kinga Makuch (Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw) touched upon the subject of criminal liability in environmental protection. Then dr hab. Agata Kosieradzka-Federczyk (Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw) discussed the role and tasks of Interpol in detecting crime related to the transboundary shipment of waste. The lecture of Dr. hab. Bartosz Majchrzak, professor of Cardinal Wyszynski University in Warsaw concerned the forms of implementation of the tasks of the Environmental Protection Inspection in the field of control of entities using the environment and compliance with environmental protection regulations. Dr hab. Szymon Pawelec, professor of the University of Warsaw pointed to the important issue of the identification and procedural position of victims of environmental crimes in the field of waste management. Then dr hab. Marcin Jurgiliewicz professor of Rzeszow University of Technology discussed the issue of mediation in cases of prohibited acts against the environment.

In the second panel, the first speaker was dr hab. Krzysztof Wiak, professor of The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, who discussed the issue of liability for illegal waste storage. Then, the prosecutor delegated to the DPP PK (Director of Public Prosecutions, National Public Prosecutor’s Office), Ewa Ścierzyńska, discussed the conclusions and comments resulting from the coordination of proceedings in the National Prosecutor’s Office for crimes in illegal waste management. In turn, the Chief Specialist of the Criminal Law Department, the Legislative Department of Criminal Law, judge Rafał Kierzynka, presented the assessment of the Polish system of combating environmental crime as part of the 8th evaluation round of the Council of the European Union. Then the Head of the Department at Economic Crime Piotr Trzciński presented the topic of the role of the Police in counteracting environmental crime.

In the following part, the Head of the Department at the Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance, Piotr Żak, discussed the activities of the National Revenue Administration in the field of detecting and counteracting environmental crime. Next, the Director of DZPŚ CIEP, Krzysztof Gołębiewski, presented the activities of the Inspectorate of Environmental Protection in the field of detecting and counteracting environmental crime. Lidia Cieślik, the Head of the Security Department in the Border Board Communication of the Border Guard Headquarters, gave a speech on the role of the Border Guard in the control of the shipment of waste and hazardous materials, and the Head of the Analysis, Strategy and Planning Department at the Inspection Supervision Office of the GITD (Chief Inspectorate of Road Transport), Ewa Wiaksa, presented the results of the inspection activities of the Inspection Road Transport in the field of road transport of waste.

The conference was summarized by acting Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection Marek Chibowski, acting Deputy Chief Inspector of Environmental Protection Marek Surmacz and Director of the Institute of Justice, dr hab. Marcin Wielec. During the discussion, the speakers came to the conclusion that a discussion about environmental crime, both in practical and theoretical terms, is necessary. Only in this way can counteract mechanisms be developed. Moreover, they indicated the necessity to take actions both in the legislative field and in order to develop mechanisms of coordinated cooperation between specialized services.

1st panel transmission:

2nd Panel and summary transmission: