Fight against environmental crime: MEPs to investigate best practice in Slovenia

Three members of the Legal Affairs Committee will travel to Ljubljana next week to examine Slovenia's successful approach to general waste management.

On Monday 27 October, the Chair and two members of the Legal Affairs Committee will travel to Slovenia for a three-day mission to analyse the country's success in fighting the environmental crime. Slovenia has been successful in reducing illegal waste dumping and the landfilling of waste suitable for recycling, which has declined considerably in recent years.

MEPs will meet representatives of the Ministry of Justice and of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy as well as from local authorities, to inquire about the process of transposition and implementation of the EU's environmental crime directive. They will visit Ljubljana Regional Waste Management Centre (RCERO) to see its processes, and they will also discuss NoviKrog, a local project focused on circular public procurement, with representatives of the municipality of Novo mesto. They will conclude their visit discussing waste management with the civil society organisations active in the field.

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Before the visit, Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew, BG) said: "Waste related crimes rank among the most profitable environmental crimes. Given its geographical position, Slovenia has experienced many cases of the illegal shipment of waste. We want to talk to the government and civil society representatives about how they tackle this problem, but we also want to take a closer look at the regional and local initiatives aimed at preventing waste. According to the European Environmental Agency, Slovenia is one of the most successful EU countries in this regard in recent years."

Mr Kyuchyuk will be joined by two MEPs for this mission:

• Mr Adrián Vázquez Lázara (EPP, ES)
• Mr Tobiasz Bocheński (ECR, PL).

Background

The Legal Affairs Committee played a key role in the adoption of the environmental crime directive establishing minimum rules across EU countries for defining environmental criminal offences and imposing penalties, including imprisonment, to fight environmental criminality. EU countries have until May 2026 to transpose these new rules into their national legislation. Environmental crime is the fourth largest criminal activity in the world and is one of the main sources of income for organised crime alongside drugs, weapons and human trafficking.

• Martina VASS

  Press Officer (SK)

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