ORGANIZOVANI KRIMINALITET I KRIVIČNA DELA PROTIV ŽIVOTNE SREDINE
ORGANIZED CRIME AND CRIMINAL OFFENSES AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT1

Summary/Abstract: The standards for the protection and improvement of the environment are in obvious and profound discord with the actual situation. The environment is threatened and damaged continuously, on a daily basis, through numerous and diverse individual and collective activities. Over time, many of these activities have been prohibited and sanctioned through various types of regulations, while some have been recognized as exceptionally socially dangerous and sanctioned through criminal legislation. Environmental crime encompasses a wide range of illegal activities and harmful consequences, which is why no universally accepted definition exists. In addition to direct and indirect harmful consequences for the environment and human health, certain forms of environmental crime are aimed at obtaining benefits. The United Nations has singled out environmental crime as a key factor aggravating the so-called “triple planetary crisis” – climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Organized criminal groups and networks perceive environmental criminal offenses as an opportunity for high profit with relatively low risk, enabling them to finance other illegal activities and expand their influence. Environmental crime has been identified as the fourth most lucrative criminal activity in the world, following trafficking in human beings, drugs, and weapons. The effective suppression of environmental criminal offenses still does not rank among priorities in many states. The introductory part of this paper provides conceptual definitions of environmental and organized crime, after which the focus shifts to key areas. In addition, the operational methodology of criminal networks is examined, with particular emphasis on corruption and money laundering as key factors contributing to convergence, as well as on the role of corporations and state authorities in those mechanisms. Finally, the paper offers a brief critical review of the dynamics and state of environmental crime in Serbia

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