First Meeting of Judges, Prosecutors, Police and the Environmental Authority

With the support of the Forest Governance Positioning Project in Colombia PPGFC, was held at CARDER´s facilities, the " Technical and Legal Meeting between judges, prosecutors, police and the Environmental Authority" led by agronomist, Gladys Ospina Ospina, Professional Specialist of CARDER who is in charge of checkpoints and lumber yards, and represents the corporation before the PPGFC.

This meeting in which judges, prosecutors, police and CARDER as Environmental Authority were participants, was the first of a series of meetings to be held. The main objective is to standardize procedures in all instances, in order to take actions in accordance with environmental regulations when enforcing laws in cases of environmental violations.

The Socialization of 2009´s Law 1333 (Environmental Sanctioning Regimen), and how different actors are proceeding when imposing sanctions against environmental crimes, were the first point of the meeting.

Some other aspects presented were: what a preventive measure is, which the preventive measures are, what to do when receiving forfeiture, how a technical concept should be done, which aspects should be taken into account when making it, among others.

At the end of the event, attendees rated as positive this first meeting. They concluded that the effectiveness and relevance of this space will allow the standardization of procedures, to carry out the sanctioning processes regarding environmental crimes. In the coming days a second meeting is expected.

The Forest Governance Positioning Project is funded by the European Union and led by CARDER, in association with Corantioquia, Corpocaldas, CRC, Codechocó, Corponariño, Corponor, CRQ, Cortolima, Corpourabá, CVC, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Asocars and Aldea Global.