The European Commission has launched a call for proposals on the operational cooperation in the fight against environmental crime.

The action aims to gather intelligence and develop a better understanding of trends and flows of environmental crimes. Alongside supporting the stated objectives of the EU Policy Cycle, the action aims to improve data and develop the existing exchanges of information between existing EU and international bodies involved in the fight against environmental crime. The action will support law enforcement operational activities in the fight against wildlife trafficking, trafficking in illicit waste, and/or any other types of environmental crimes.

Project applications submitted under the present call for proposals must address at least one of the following priorities:

• Fight against wildlife trafficking, forest crime and other forms of wildlife crime;
• Fight against trafficking in illicit waste;
• Any other type of environmental crime.

Funding Information

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects under this call for proposals is estimated at EUR 2 300 000 (two million three hundred thousand euros).

Eligibility Criteria

All applicants and co-applicants must fulfil the following eligibility requirements for applications to be eligible. To prove these eligibility requirements, applicants and coapplicants will have to provide the relevant information and upload necessary documents showing their legal status in the Participant Register.

Legal Status

• The following entities can apply as lead applicants and co-applicants:
  • public bodies;
  • non-profit-making private entities.
• The following entities can only apply as co-applicants:
  • international organisations
• The following are not eligible, neither as applicants nor as co-applicants:
  • Union Agencies;
  • natural persons.
• Affiliated entities, i.e. legal entities having a legal or capital link with applicants, shall take part in the action as individual co-applicants in order to declare eligible costs unless they are affiliated to a public body.

Country of establishment

• With the exception of international organisations, applicants and co-applicants must be established in the following countries to be eligible:
  • the Member States of the European Union with the exception of Denmark (“Member States participating in the ISF Police instrument”).
• International organisations can be established outside the above-mentioned countries.
• The lead applicant must be established in a Member States participating in the ISF Police instrument.

For more information, visit European Commission.