ENPE, together with the Eurojust implemented Western Balkans Criminal Justice (WBCJ) Project organised and hosted a regional conference on environmental crime in Zagreb on the 20-21 May 2026 that brought together prosecutors from the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, and EU Member States as well as others from further afield such as the Republics of Moldova and Armenia. The Croatian Minister for Environment opened proceedings encouraging delegates to make the most of the occasion with such a variety of topics and countries presented. All available presentations can be downloaded here: https://www.swisstransfer.com/d/39c8fe43-02eb-4c6e-8137-ce52760c6af9. [photos and link used in this article and the banner courtesy of Eurojust]. The cross-border nature of many environmental crimes requires continuous cooperation among the judicial authorities of all affected countries, a cooperation that is only possible if practitioners possess the necessary level of knowledge and effective access to judicial cooperation tools and instruments. In recognising this, the workshop invited specialists to share their experiences through case studies and specialist working groups focussing on areas of concern such as corruption in environmental crime and illegal logging and forestry crime. The new Environmental Crime Directive (EU) 2024/ 1203 was also the focus of a working group with delegates looking forward to its transposition and implementation. On the second day, delegates were treated to a site visit to an illegal waste site where hazardous waste had been stored illegally in an area that presented multiple risks to the environment and human health.

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