Environmental Crime, Legal Implementation and Access to Justice in the Western Balkans
The second regional event of the #EcoJustice initiative was held in Sarajevo from 13 to 15 November 2024.
The UNDP event brought together more than 50 representatives of governments, the judiciary, enforcement authorities, civil society and academia from the region. Prof. Dr Mirjana Drenovak-Ivanović presented regional experience and challenges in transposing and implementing the EU environmental and climate acquis.
The presentation formed part of the panel “Environmental Crime – between the Letter of the Law and Implementation”. Discussions addressed stronger legislation, effective enforcement and access to justice for the public and the public concerned as pillars of the Aarhus Convention.
The discussion showed that the adoption of modern legislation is insufficient without implementation capacity, cooperation among authorities and accessible legal remedies. Regional experience was particularly relevant to understanding common challenges faced by Western Balkan countries in the EU integration process. The activity communicated JMC EECL research results to a professional audience directly engaged in law enforcement.
