Human Dynamics team with the ECRAN project attended the first IMPEL conference organised in Utrecht in the Netherlands. The event was organised by a broad group of stakeholders IMPEL, the EU Network of environmental practitioners; ENPE, the EU Network of Prosecutors for the Environment; EUFJE, the EU Forum of Judges for the Environment; and EnviCrimeNet. The main aim of the conference was to tackle challenges in implementing environmental legislation, being the priority theme of the 7th (current) Environment Action Programme of the European Union.
The conference focused in particular on the practical implementation challenges in two key areas: a lack of resources (human and financial) and weak enforcement, insufficient penalties and sanctions, as well as on the toll of improving the links in the compliance chain and improve communication between the four key actors: practitioners (permitters and inspectors), police, prosecutors, and judges.
During the conference, practical solutions and best practice from Europe and the rest of the world on these themes were presented and highlighted.
One inspector, one judge and one prosecutor from each ECRAN beneficiary country were invited to participate in the event, led by Ike van der Putte, our ECRAN Key Expert.
IMPEL, the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law, is an ECRAN related network who with ECENA ( a horizontal activity of ECRAN) engage together in common areas of inspection, enforcement, and compliance.