21.05.2026.
ZAGREB, 20 and 21 May 2026 - Director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund Luka Balen together with the minister of environmental protection and green transition Marija Vučković participated in the regional conference "Strengthening the fight against environmental crime by enhancing cross-regional judicial cooperation among Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership countries and EU Member States".The event was organised as part of the Western Balkans Criminal Justice (WBCJ) Project implemented by Eurojust (European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation based in the Hague), in cooperation with the European Network of Prosecutors for Environment (ENPE). The two-day event brought together prosecutors and law enforcement representatives from 16 countries.
The conference was opened by minister Vučković, who pointed out that environmental crime was a serious risk threatening natural resources and public health, also causing considerable economic damage. She underlined the importance of international cooperation and harmonisation of legislation and reminded that the Republic of Croatia amended the Criminal Code to incorporate the provisions of the new European Directive (EU) 2024/1203 on environmental crime and to reduce risks. In addition to the minister, the conference was attended by the director of the Fund, Luka Balen, and the head of the Legal Affairs Sector at the Fund, Srđana Piasevoli.
Azra Ivković, WBCJ project coordinator at Eurojust, and Rob de Rijck, president of ENPE, also addressed the audience at the opening of the conference, which addressed the growing challenge of environmental crime and sophisticated cross-border networks. The first day was dedicated to expert presentations and workshops in three key areas: the integration of financial investigations in cross-border environmental crime cases (Solveig Voiquardsen, Eurojust), the new Directive (EU) 2024/1203 and its implications for non-EU countries (Rob de Rijck, ENPE), and the link between illegal logging and organized crime (Captain Sara Aielli, Italian Carabinieri / EMPACT).
On the second day of the conference, the participants were visited the illegal hazardous waste landfill in Poznanovec (Municipality of Bedekovčina), for which a tender for the selection of a remediation contractor is underway. On that occasion, Marina Rakić, Deputy Municipal State Attorney in Zagreb, presented the procedure from the perspective of the State Attorney's Office, while Robert Rocek from the Environmental Protection Inspectorate spoke about the actions of the State Inspectorate. In conclusion, Srđana Piasevoli introduced the participants to the role of the Fund in general, and especially in the remediation of locations in Poznanovec, where there is a total of 13,200 tons of improperly disposed waste on two nearby plots.
This field visit provided participants with an authentic experience of the cross-border challenges discussed, highlighting the urgency of stronger judicial cooperation and the effective use of new legal tools within the framework of the EU and the Council of Europe. The event ended with a call for sustained regional cooperation, with Eurojust and ENPE reaffirming their commitment to support national authorities in the fight against environmental crimes.
