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PA G-8 NATIONS AGREE TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO FIGHT ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME

Release Date: 04/10/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1998

G-8 NATIONS AGREE TO INCREASE EFFORTS TO FIGHT
ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME

EPA Administrator Carol Browner, the environmental ministers of the other G8 Nations (Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and Russia) and representatives of the European Union met April 3-5 at Leeds Castle in Kent, England to discuss the key environmental issues that face the world. One of the issues involved current efforts to combat the growing evidence of violations of international environmental agreements, and particularly the involvement of international organized crime. The ministers decided to protect existing multilateral environmental agreements by increasing the cooperation between their nations in taking enforcement actions against environmental crimes. The steps agreed to by the ministers included continuing to fight the illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances, hazardous waste, and protected species; sharing information and collaborative efforts to detect and prosecute transboundary environmental violations; supporting international efforts to train law enforcement officers in environmental enforcement; and fully utilizing international organizations, such as Interpol, the World Customs Organization, and the International Maritime Organization, in the effort to fight environmental crime. The ministers will review the progress in controlling environmental crime at their meeting next year.

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