This Manual on Prosecuting Environmental Crime in the Baltic Sea Region is written by member states of the Network of Prosecutors on Environmental Crime (ENPRO). It is meant to serve as a handbook for prosecutors and other authorities who work at environmental crime and need information about the judicial systems and legislation of the other member states of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). The manual is based on two reports written out by the Expert Group on Environmental Crime in the Baltic Sea Region at the beginning of the 21st century. The 1st Report – May 2000 presented and analysed the actual legal
and organisational structures relating to environmental crime. The aim of the 2nd Report – May 2002 was to create practical advisory in prosecution of oil pollution in the Baltic Sea States. These two reports are merged in this manual and the information is updated yearly. The organisational structures of the member states, structures of their environmental criminal law, and their sanction systems for environmental infringements including additional sanctions like confiscation are presented in this manual. Because illegal discharges from vessels are one of the main concerns in the Baltic Sea Area, there’s a specific section on special rules concerning oil pollution at sea. You can also find the list of international instruments and the information on their ratification, implementation etc. At the end of the manual there are some useful links to websites where you can find more information on the subjects of the manual.
About ENPRO
ENPRO is the Network of Prosecutors on Environmental Crime in the Baltic Sea Region. ENPRO works for practical cooperation and for regular and frequent professional change of information and discussions between prosecutors. It also collects information on legislation and on prosecuting environmental crime in member states. Most issues and problems that prosecutors meet concerning environmental crime are difficult but, however, similar in every country. ENPRO follows and analyses interesting cases on environmental crime in order to exchange information and experience on problems and solutions for the
prosecution of environmental crimes. ENPRO works for the specialisation of public prosecutors in the field of environmental crime because this specialisation will promote the prosecution of environmental crimes and specialised public prosecutors will be able to form a national knowledge base in this field. ENPRO also cooperates with other organs like the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), the North Sea Network of Prosecutors and Investigators (NSN) and HELCOM.