In addition to the recommended priorities established in the framework of the EU policy cycle for organised and serious international crime 2014 to 2017, the EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment 2013 (SOCTA) also indicated specific emerging threats, which require intensified monitoring. One of the emerging threats identified is environmental crime.

This in-depth Europol assessment presented in the SOCTA and aims to provide a detailed account of the threat of environmental crime in the EU. This threat assessment primarily relies on information provided by Member States (MS) and Europol’s partners.