ENPE annual conference 2024; Joint event with UCC, Cork, Ireland

On 10th and 11th of October ENPE and University College Cork (UCC) held a joint conference on environmental crime in Cork, Ireland.

The overarching conference theme was Environmental Crime: Co-operation to ensure effective prosecution.  The conference provided a forum to present, share and discuss different approaches to fighting environmental crime with judiciary, government, academic and international network contributors from across Europe and the United States. Twenty-four countries were represented at this year’s conference with 57 delegates in attendance.

The plenary conference sessions addressed important contemporary developments including: the new directive on Environmental Crime (Directive (EU) 2024/1203); the role of Eurojust in supporting cross-border judicial cooperation – with a special focus on environmental crime; Project BIOVAL – the new indicative tool for compensating nature damage; international environmental crime fighting initiatives; Enforcing Environmental Law in Ireland – the EPA’s Perspective; and the new Planning and Environment Division of the High Court of Ireland. 

Members of the UCC's Centre for Law & the Environment delivered contributions on Tackling Environmental Crime: Insights from the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss.,  Wildlife Crime in Ireland: Enforcement Challenges and Opportunities and led a break-out session on the theme of Supporting Effective Enforcement. We also had speakers from the Irish National Parks and Wildlife Service and Naval Service providing fascinating and detailed summaries of the work they do in combatting enviornmental crime. In addition, our ENPE Working Group Chairs hosted their own breakout sessions on Pollution, Wildlife Crime and Waste & Illegal Pesticides. 

The closing address, delivered by Professor Yvonne Scannell, Trinity College Dublin, wrapped it all up, capping a very interesting & engaging congress. Conference family photograph courtesy of P RIce, UCC.