Background Interpol and the United Nations Environment Programme estimate the cost of international environmental crime to be $213 billion (c. €188 billion) per year. This problem affects the EU as it does other regions. High levels of environmental crime can be partly attributed to inefficient and ineffective prosecution and sanctioning. Wildlife crime is notoriously difficult to prosecute because the law in this area is complex and because criminal circles are small, highly organised, closed and hard to penetrate. Chemical pollution and waste crimes also adversely impact biodiversity and many EU rivers are falling short of Water Framework Directive targets. Additionally, large-scale pollution incidents are complex, requiring transnational cooperation to successfully prosecute. Objectives LIFE-ENPE's objectives include to: Build a self-sustaining network of environmental prosecutors; Improve the sharing of information on environmental crime; and Improve capacity and consistency for combating transnational waste, wildlife and chemical crimes. LIFE-ENPE will help increase the efficiency and effectiveness of public bodies charged with tackling environmental crime by building a network of prosecutors and judges to share information and develop best practice. It will foster a greater culture of transnational cooperation between prosecutors and judges. It will provide training to prosecutors and judges, supported by case studies and training packages on adjudicating, sanctioning and prosecuting environmental crime. ENPE working groups will focus on waste, wildlife and chemical crimes. Through the ENPE Sanctioning, Prosecuting and Judicial Practice working group, ENPE will also respond to the uneven and inadequate implementation of EU environmental legislation. Expected results: Objective 1: Build a self-sustaining network of environmental prosecutors: a. Agencies responsible for prosecuting and adjudicating environmental crime in 39 targeted States will be identified/mapped; b. A Stakeholder Matrix will be provided outlining the roles and competences of target audience/stakeholders; c. The ENPE network will be established (minimum of 25 countries represented); and d. At least ten instances of transnational cooperation that lead to the successful prosecution of environmental crime; Objective 2: Better information on environmental crime: e. A capitalisation and gap-filling report supplied to environmental prosecutors and judges throughout the Member States; f. Outputs from working groups will be supplied to judicial and prosecution agencies; g. Five annual conferences will be held to share information with Member States; and h. Website and common online resources developed; Objective 3: Improve capacity and consistency for combating transnational waste, wildlife and chemical crimes: i. Four working groups will be established, each holding multiple workshops a year, and producing best practice and training materials; j. Training will be provided to prosecution or judicial agencies based on materials developed by the working groups; and k. At least 10 agencies will adopt elements of ENPE best practice in their environmental crime work.