The concluding conference of the SWEAP project is set to take place on May 2-3 2024 at the headquarters of Europol, the Hague, the Netherlands. The event will provide an opportunity to review the project’s accomplishments while also outlining future strategies to effectively close the waste compliance and enforcement chain.
SWEAP has achieved significant milestones since its inception. Through partnerships between environmental regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies and EU and international partner organisations. the project has made strides in executing inspections on shipments of waste, enhancing cross-border cooperation, capacity building, harmonised data collection, intelligence sharing, and testing innovative inspection tools.
“As we gather for the closing conference of the SWEAP project, we reflect on the progress made in preventing and detection non-compliance with waste management and shipment rules,” said Nancy Isarin, SWEAP Senior Communication and Networking Officer.
“From disrupting illegal waste shipments to implementing innovative enforcement strategies, SWEAP has played a pivotal and contributive role in safeguarding our environment and promoting sustainability.”, says Katie Olley, SWEAP Project Manager.
In addition to celebrating achievements, the conference will also address emerging challenges and opportunities. Discussions will focus on the implications of new EU legislation, including the recent revised Waste Shipment Regulation and the Environmental Crime Directive, who were both published 30 April 2024 and will enter into force late May 2024.
Key notes will be provided by Mr. Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Convention Secretariat and Mr. Marco Falconi, chair of the IMPEL Network. Participants will explore strategies to strengthen regulatory frameworks, enhance collaboration between stakeholders, and leverage technology to combat evolving threats.
The closing conference of the SWEAP project promises to be a platform for knowledge exchange, strategic planning, and collective action towards a more sustainable future. Stakeholders from environmental inspecotrates, law enforcement agencies, in international organisation, including the European Commission, Europol, the World Customs Organization, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, UNODC and the OECD, are invited to participate in this crucial dialogue.
For more information about the conference and SWEAP project, please visit the conference webpage.
About SWEAP
The Shipment of Waste Enforcement Actions Project (SWEAP) project is co-funded by the European Commission LIFE fund and co-ordinated by the IMPEL Network. The project runs between September 2018 to June 2024. The overall purpose of the project is to support the circular economy by disrupting the illegal waste trade at the EU level by:
- Increasing skill set amongst inspectors and law enforcement agencies
- Intensifying collaboration nationally and internationally
- Developing innovative tools and techniques
- Creating EU-wide inspection data set
- Providing intelligence products
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