Project holder: Association of Public Prosecutors and Deputy Public Prosecutors of Serbia
Donor: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation-SDC
Place of implementation of activities: Serbia
Project duration: 7 months, until January 31, 2022
Environmental crime covers the range of activities that breach environmental legislation and cause significant harm or risk to the environment, human health or both. The offences can include, but not limited to the improper collection, transport, recovery or disposal of waste; illegal operation of a plant in which a dangerous activity is carried out or in which dangerous substance or preparations are stored; killing, destruction, possession or trade of protected wild 2/4 animal or plan species; and production, importation, exportation, marketing or use of ozone-depleting substances.
The EU 2020 Report on Serbia stated that judiciary and the environmental inspectorate should strengthen capacities and track record on implementation of the Environmental Crime Directive should be priority.
This project will help build capacity in state prosecutors’ offices to effectively manage environmental crime cases. In addition, through partnerships with civil society organizations in the field of environmental protection, the project will also create a better understanding of what environmental crimes are, how to report them to the public prosecutor’s office and what it can do to help prosecute such crimes.
The aim of the project is to improve the capacity of public prosecutors to effectively manage environmental cases, as well as to establish a cross-sectoral partnership between civil society organizations and the public prosecutor’s office.
Targeted beneficiaries:
– Prosecutor’s offices
– Selected number of CSOs
– Citizens and citizen’s groups