The EMJ Environmental Justice Week started with the opening of the conference in Algiers by the Algerian Minister of Justice Mr Abderrachid Tabi, Eurojust President Mr Ladislav Hamran and Mr Peter Csonka, deputy director for Criminal Justice at the European Commission. To emphasise the cross-cutting nature of environmental crime, the Algerian Ministers of Agriculture, Environment and Industry also participated in the conference, as well as the President and General Prosecutor of the Supreme Court and Court of Algiers and the Head of National Security and the Gendarmerie.

The main aim of the conference was to bring together judicial and environmental experts from various EU Member States and South Partner Countries (SPCs)* to share knowledge and expertise and improve cooperation in the area of environmental crime. In the margins of the conference, Algerian Minister Tabi, Eurojust President Mr Hamran and Mr Csonka discussed the judicial aspects of the ongoing negotiations for an international agreement between the European Union and Algeria.

At the same time, in Verona, with the active support of the EMJ, thirty participants from seven SPCS and EU Members States held a joint training session on combatting environmental crime and enhancing judicial cooperation. This training session for thirty high-level experts was organised by EMJ with the support of the Italian authorities.

* Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine** and Tunisia

** This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.