The Strategy for Preventing Environmental Offences 2021–2026 and Action Programme 2021–2022 updates Finland’s first environmental crime prevention strategy from 2015. It is built on the work of the national executive group, which coordinates between ministries, police, customs, border guards, prosecutors, and environmental authorities. The strategy defines seven strategic guidelines to be achieved by 2026, emphasizing stronger inter-agency cooperation, harmonization of ministerial guidance, training for officials, better use of statistical and monitoring data, and integration of environmental crime prevention into both national and EU legal frameworks. It also calls for more preventive action through public awareness and international collaboration, especially regarding transnational threats such as illegal waste trafficking and trade in endangered species. The programme highlights the importance of developing expertise, improving investigative methods, and addressing challenges like low conviction rates, insufficient penalties, and the strong financial incentives that drive environmental crime. The Action Programme for 2021–2022 translates these strategic goals into concrete measures. Key actions include strengthening cooperation between national and regional enforcement networks, clarifying the division of tasks between state and municipal authorities, improving training for police, prosecutors, and judges, and ensuring effective information-sharing through databases. It also proposes reforms such as expanding the role of environmental authorities as legal stakeholders, implementing EU whistleblower protection rules, and exploring administrative sanctions to complement criminal penalties. Preventive efforts focus on awareness campaigns, thematic inspection weeks, and coordinated enforcement operations. Internationally, the programme seeks to improve Finland’s participation in Europol and INTERPOL initiatives and ensure lessons from global trends are integrated domestically. The strategy stresses that progress will be reviewed every two years, ensuring continuous adaptation to emerging environmental crime threats.
Finlande · 2021-01-01