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February 2010 – The environmental authorities in the UK and in the Netherlands are working closely together on enforcement of the European Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR). After completing two joint work programmes, the Environment Agency of England and Wales (EA) and the Dutch VROM-Inspectorate (VI) signed an official agreement for cooperation on 12 February 2009 in The Hague. The need for a formal agreement on cooperation and intelligence sharing arose due to the joint WSR cases and repatriations that they are dealing with on a structural base. The agreement was expanded and signed as well by the Environment Agency of Northern Ireland (NIEA) on 16 December 2009 in Belfast and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) on 22 February 2010 in Edinburgh. Each year they will agree on a number of joint activities to improve their WSR enforcement work. The plans for 2010 and 2011 were set out during the meeting in Scotland.

The focus of the latest joint operation from the Dutch and British authorities on 2-4 February 2010 was on exports of waste tyres and waste of electrical and electronically equipment (WEEE). The four authorities met for an intelligence gathering and dissemination event in Coventry, England and visited several waste tyre and WEEE facilities. The illegal export of tyres from Europe to countries like Vietnam and South Korea appear to be a problem, as well as the illegal export of WEEE to non OECD countries. Waste tyres are dumped, burned and exported illegally. The environment suffers from this, as well as legitimate recycling companies who face unfair competition. The UK and Netherlands authorities will work together to stop unwanted exports of WEEE and waste tyres. The data gathered will be used for intelligence-led enforcement activities in the UK and the Netherlands.

The authorities are currently preparing a joint criminal investigation on illegal waste exports for the very first time.

Another joint activity is the making of a ‘waste shipment enforcement training film’ for enforcement officers around the world like customs, police and environmental authorities. The film is funded by the VI and the EA and is produced in cooperation with IMPEL-TFS. The meeting and the site visits during the joint enforcement operation were used as an example of intelligence sharing and international cooperation for the film. Other environmental authorities who will appear in this film are from Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ghana and one country in Asia. The film will be presented at the IMPEL-TFS conference in Basel, June 2-4.

For more information contact Ms. Jenny van Houten, Programme Manager International Enforcement Cooperation VROM-Inspectorate, jenny.vanhouten@minvrom.nl

Tags: collaboration, enforcement