The SECI Center’s historical land marks

• 1999 SECI Agreement signed - May, 26 th

• 2001 SECI Center set up and became functional

• 2007 started negotiations for a new SELEC Conventio n

• 2009 SELEC Convention was adopted - December, 9 th

13 MEMBERSAlbania

Bosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatiaGreece

Hungary

All the 13 SECI Center Member States are the SELEC signatories

HungaryMoldova

Former Yugoslav Republicof Macedonia

Montenegro (2008) Romania

Serbia SloveniaTurkey

OBSERVER MISSIONS & ORGANIZATIONS

Interpol, World Customs Organization , EUBAM, UNMiK

CARICC,UNODC were granted the observer status during the 33rd

JCC meeting, held in Bucharest, June 2010

The SECI Center’s current Partners

17 OBSERVER STATESAustria Georgia PortugalAzerbaijan Germany Slova kiaBelgium Israel Spain Czech Republic Italy UkraineFrance Japan United Kingdom

The Netherlands United States of America

Accumulated operational experienceto be transferred

from SECI Center to SELEC

10.353 10.80912.000

Information Exchanges

315 608

1.642 1.964

4.053

5.953

7.5839.196

10.353

0

2.000

4.000

6.000

8.000

10.000

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

10 Years of Cost Effective Cooperation among the Member States

• SELEC shall have international legal personalityrecognized as important European International LawEnforcement Organization

• SELEC shall have in each Member State legal and

What SELEC Brings

contractual capacity under that State’s law.

• It shall have the capacity:

• (a) to contract;

• (b) to acquire and dispose of movable and immovableproperty;

• (c) to be a party to legal proceedings.

• For law enforcement�More efficient and flexible joint investigative teams

�Less bureaucracy

�More secure communication system

�Higher analytical input

SELEC Perspectives

�Higher analytical input

• For member Countries’ Governments�Minimal investment with successful results in regional

investigations and operations

�Coordinated governmental response

• For citizen�Safer environment

The objective of SELEC, within the framework ofcooperation among Competent Authorities, is toprovide support for Member States and

SELEC Main Objective

provide support for Member States andenhance coordination in preventing andcombating crime, including serious and organizedcrime, where such crime involves or appears toinvolve an element of trans-border activity

• Operational � Develop flexibility and operational effectiveness

� Provide for increased capabilities

� Broadening International cooperation with strategic

Expected Improvements

partners

• Organizational� Confirm international legal personality

� Adopt effective and appropriate personal data protection rules

� New more demanding business environment

• SELEC Convention will enter soon into force uponratification by two thirds of the signatory parties (9out of 13 countries)

• Six countries have already ratified the SELEC

When SELEC enters into force?

• Six countries have already ratified the SELECConvention (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Romania and Slovenia)

• Significant progress is made in other signatorystates

Task Force - SECI Center’s Arsenal against trans-border crime in SEE

• 8 specialized Task Forces focused on

– Drug Trafficking

– Human Trafficking and Illegal Immigration

– Smuggling and Customs Frauds – Smuggling and Customs Frauds

– Stolen Vehicles

– Financial and Computer Crime

– Terrorism

– Container Security

– Environmental Crimes

Task Force on Environmental Crimes

• Set up in June 2009 upon the decision of JCC

• Coordinated by Hungary

• Aim - to fight crimes committed against the natural environment in the countries of the SEE region and to develop cooperation among the competent law enforcement authorities

Task Force on Environmental Crimes

• By setting up the new Environmental Crimes Task Force, SECI Center recently started to facilitate international started to facilitate international police and customs cooperation in SEE and assists its member countries in the effective enforcement and compliance of national and international environmental laws and treaties

The current situation

• It is well known that environmental crime became a very interesting lucrative business

• It is estimated that organized crime syndicates internationally earn 20-30 billions of dollars from hazardous waste dumping smuggling of from hazardous waste dumping smuggling of proscribed hazardous materials, or trafficking protected species of fauna and flora

• Is very positive that SECI Center member states signed the main Protocols and Agreements for the environmental protection

Adopted MEAs by SECI Center Member States

• Basel Convention on Hazardous wastes, • Rotterdam Convention on Hazardous

chemicals and pesticides• Stockholm Convention - POP’s high toxic • Stockholm Convention - POP’s high toxic

persistent bio-accumulate chemicals contaminating if released in long distances the environment (furans, dioxins).

• Montreal Protocol on Ozone depleting substances

• CITES Convention and its Appendices

ECTF – Steps Taken and Goals

• Assessment of the Regional Situation in fighting crimes committed against environment and nature - 2009

• 1st Task Force meeting - 24 of November 2009• Professional Training in cooperation UNEP DTIE Ozon

Action Program – 29 of March 2011Action Program – 29 of March 2011• 2nd Task Force meeting – 30 of March 2011• Joint Police and Customs large scale regional

operation code name <<Green Pandora>>• Case based common investigations - in order to

facilitate joint investigations on environmental crimes, a network of contact points will be set up in the SEE region

Conclusions

• SECI Center Environmental Crime Task Force action aims:

• To monitor and access the frequency and length of environmental crimes and violations in regional level at their real - if possible dimension.their real - if possible dimension.

• To emphasize the importance of enhancing controls and responsiveness of police and customs for an effective environmental protection

• To enhancing law enforcement awareness and sensitivity in intercepting and banning illegal trafficking of consignments that might violate protection regimes of the natural environment.

Conclusions

• To equally and simultaneously involve in theoperational process border agencies and policeforces, offering an excellent opportunity for harmoniccooperation and interaction

• To intensify the exchange of information and datarelevant to environmental crimes and to conduct jointinvestigations

• To update and improve the risk analysis criteriaparticularly focusing on detecting violations againstthe natural environment at national and regional level