Latvia to cooperate with Norway in combating environmental crime

RIGA - The State Police plans to sign an agreement with the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime on cooperation in combating environmental crime, LETA was told at the press office of the Ministry of the Interior. 

Representatives of Norwegian law enforcement authorities paid an informal visit to the Ministry of the Interior to discuss the potential interinstitutional cooperation between the Norwegian and Latvian investigation authorities in clamping down on environmental crime in Latvia. 

The meeting in Riga this week focused on environmental crime investigation systems and current issues in both countries. Special attention was paid to crimes involving pollution, violations of waste management rules and irregularities in animal trade. Experts from the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime shared their experience with their Latvian colleagues. 

According to the Ministry of the Interior, it is essential to strengthen cooperation between Latvian and Norwegian authorities because environmental crimes typically have a cross-border character and quite often they involve economic crimes as well. The planned cooperation might therefore be a befitting addition to the European Economic Area's (EEA) grant program “International Police Cooperation and Combating Crime”, which is aimed at the prevention and combating economic crime. 

The parties agreed on a plan for further activities, which will be launched in the spring, and on signing the cooperation agreement between the State Police and the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime.