2. The SECI Center’s
historical land marks
• 1999 SECI Agreement signed - May, 26th
• 2001 SECI Center set up and became functional
• 2007 started negotiations for a new SELEC Convention
• 2009 SELEC Convention was adopted - December, 9th

3. All the 13 SECI Center Member
States are the SELEC signatories
13 MEMBERS
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Greece
Hungary
Moldova
Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia
Montenegro (2008)
Romania
Serbia
Slovenia
Turkey

4. The SECI Center’s current
Partners
OBSERVER MISSIONS & ORGANIZATIONS
Interpol, World Customs Organization, EUBAM, UNMiK
CARICC,UNODC were granted the observer status during the 33rd
JCC meeting, held in Bucharest, June 2010
17 OBSERVER STATES
Austria Georgia Portugal
Azerbaijan Germany Slovakia
Belgium Israel Spain
Czech Republic Italy Ukraine
France Japan United Kingdom
The Netherlands United States of America

5. Accumulated operational experience
to be transferred
from SECI Center to SELEC
Information Exchanges
12.000 10.353 10.809
10.000
9.196
7.583
8.000
5.953
6.000 4.053
4.000 1.964
1.642
2.000 315 608
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

6. 10 Years of Cost Effective Cooperation
among the Member States

7. What SELEC Brings
• SELEC shall have international legal personality
recognized as important European International Law
Enforcement Organization
• SELEC shall have in each Member State legal and
contractual capacity under that State’s law.
• It shall have the capacity:
• (a) to contract;
• (b) to acquire and dispose of movable and immovable
property;
• (c) to be a party to legal proceedings.

8. SELEC Perspectives
• For law enforcement
More efficient and flexible joint investigative teams
Less bureaucracy
More secure communication system
Higher analytical input
• For member Countries’ Governments
Minimal investment with successful results in regional
investigations and operations
Coordinated governmental response
• For citizen
Safer environment

9. SELEC Main Objective
The objective of SELEC, within the framework of
cooperation among Competent Authorities, is to
provide support for Member States and
enhance coordination in preventing and
combating crime, including serious and organized
crime, where such crime involves or appears to
involve an element of trans-border activity

10. Expected Improvements
• Operational
Develop flexibility and operational effectiveness
Provide for increased capabilities
Broadening International cooperation with strategic
partners
• Organizational
Confirm international legal personality
Adopt effective and appropriate personal data
protection rules
New more demanding business environment

11. When SELEC enters into force?
• SELEC Convention will enter soon into force upon
ratification by two thirds of the signatory parties (9
out of 13 countries)
• Six countries have already ratified the SELEC
Convention (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
Romania and Slovenia)
• Significant progress is made in other signatory
states

12. Task Force - SECI Center’s Arsenal
against trans-border crime in SEE
• 8 specialized Task Forces focused on
– Drug Trafficking
– Human Trafficking and Illegal Immigration
– Smuggling and Customs Frauds
– Stolen Vehicles
– Financial and Computer Crime
– Terrorism
– Container Security
– Environmental Crimes

13. Task Force on
Environmental Crimes
• Set up in June 2009 upon the decision of
JCC
• Coordinated by Hungary
• Aim - to fight crimes committed against the
natural environment in the countries of the
SEE region and to develop cooperation
among the competent law enforcement
authorities

14. Task Force on
Environmental Crimes
• By setting up the new
Environmental Crimes Task
Force, SECI Center recently
started to facilitate international
police and customs cooperation
in SEE and assists its member
countries in the effective
enforcement and compliance of
national and international
environmental laws and treaties

15. The current situation
• It is well known that environmental crime
became a very interesting lucrative business
• It is estimated that organized crime syndicates
internationally earn 20-30 billions of dollars
from hazardous waste dumping smuggling of
proscribed hazardous materials, or trafficking
protected species of fauna and flora
• Is very positive that SECI Center member
states signed the main Protocols and
Agreements for the environmental protection

16. Adopted MEAs by
SECI Center Member States
• Basel Convention on Hazardous wastes,
• Rotterdam Convention on Hazardous
chemicals and pesticides
• Stockholm Convention - POP’s high toxic
persistent bio-accumulate chemicals
contaminating if released in long distances
the environment (furans, dioxins).
• Montreal Protocol on Ozone depleting
substances
• CITES Convention and its Appendices

17. ECTF – Steps Taken and Goals
• Assessment of the Regional Situation in fighting crimes
committed against environment and nature - 2009
• 1st Task Force meeting - 24 of November 2009
• Professional Training in cooperation UNEP DTIE Ozon
Action Program – 29 of March 2011
• 2nd Task Force meeting – 30 of March 2011
• Joint Police and Customs large scale regional
operation code name <<Green Pandora>>
• Case based common investigations - in order to
facilitate joint investigations on environmental crimes, a
network of contact points will be set up in the SEE
region

18. Conclusions
• SECI Center Environmental Crime Task Force action
aims:
• To monitor and access the frequency and length of
environmental crimes and violations in regional level at
their real - if possible dimension.
• To emphasize the importance of enhancing controls
and responsiveness of police and customs for an
effective environmental protection
• To enhancing law enforcement awareness and
sensitivity in intercepting and banning illegal trafficking
of consignments that might violate protection regimes of
the natural environment.

19. Conclusions
• To equally and simultaneously involve in the
operational process border agencies and police
forces, offering an excellent opportunity for harmonic
cooperation and interaction
• To intensify the exchange of information and data
relevant to environmental crimes and to conduct joint
investigations
• To update and improve the risk analysis criteria
particularly focusing on detecting violations against
the natural environment at national and regional level