ECOFORCE is a European project funded by the EU LIFE Programme to support the effective and harmonised implementation of the new Environmental Crime Directive. It brings together law enforcement authorities, academics, technical experts, civil society organisations and European enforcement networks to strengthen Europe’s response to environmental crime.
ECOFORCE is a European project funded by the European Union under the LIFE Programme. It supports the effective and harmonised implementation of the new EU Environmental Crime Directive, strengthening the capacity of Member States to investigate, report and respond to environmental crime.
Coordinated by the Lisbon Environmental Law cluster, ECOFORCE brings together law enforcement authorities, academics, technical experts, civil society organisations and European enforcement networks to deliver a more coordinated, effective and evidence-based response to environmental crime.
Environmental crime is one of the most serious threats to ecosystems, communities and public health. It can affect air, soil, water, biodiversity and human health, often with long-term consequences that are difficult to reverse.In 2024, the European Union adopted a new Environmental Crime Directive to strengthen the protection of the environment through criminal law.
The Directive entered into force on 20 May 2024 and replaces the previous 2008 legislation, providing an updated framework for addressing serious breaches of environmental law across the EU. However, strong legal frameworks are only effective if they can be implemented in practice. Environmental crimes often require specialised technical knowledge, reliable data, cross-border cooperation and the ability to connect legal evidence with environmental and scientific findings.
For this reason, ECOFORCE focuses on supporting Member States in the implementation of the new Directive, helping to improve operational capacity, ensure a consistent interpretation of the law across Europe, and strengthen data collection and reporting.
ECOFORCE will work over 30 months to support the implementation of the new Environmental Crime Directive across Europe.
The project brings together law enforcement authorities, academics, technical experts, public entities, civil society organisations and European enforcement networks. Its goal is to develop tools, methodologies and cooperation mechanisms that can make environmental crime enforcement more effective, coordinated and evidence-based.
The project focuses on five key areas where environmental crime can have direct and long-term impacts: Air, Soil, Water, Biodiversity and Human health. Through a multilateral methodology and the involvement of both public entities and civil society, ECOFORCE aims to ensure that its results are relevant, usable and replicable across EU Member States
The project ECOFORCE aims to strengthen the operational capacity of Member States; support a consistent interpretation of the Environmental Crime Directive throughout Europe; improve data collection and reporting; promote a more coordinated response to environmental crime; and support evidence-based enforcement through technical, legal and scientific cooperation.
ECOFORCE is coordinated by Lisbon Public Law, within the Lisbon Environmental Law cluster. The project brings together: EnviCrimeNet, SEPRONA Guardia Civil – Ministry of the Interior, EnviCrime Academy SL, Ambiendura Unipessoal Limitada, EcoJust, TRAFFIC International Europe and Source International ETS. Associated partners include Belgian Federal Police, CESAN – Commandement pour l’environnement et la santé and SEPNA – Guarda Nacional Republicana.
