International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement

The International Network for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement (INECE) is a global network of environmental compliance and enforcement practitioners dedicated to raising awareness of compliance and enforcement across the regulatory cycle; developing networks for enforcement cooperation; and strengthening capacity to implement and enforce environmental requirements. [http://inece.org/INECE_SIP_2006.pdf INECE Strategic Implementation Plan, 2006-2009] ]

Founded in 1989 by The Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM) and by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), INECE links the environmental compliance and enforcement efforts of more than 4,000 practitioners - inspectors, prosecutors, regulators, parliamentarians, judges, international organizations,and non-governmental organizations - from 120 countries. [ [http://www.inece.org/ The INECE Website] ]

Organizational Structure

INECE's organizational structure consists of its Executive Planning Committee, its implementing Secretariat, and its participants.

The Executive Planning Committee (EPC), as the governing body of INECE, defines INECE's cooperative efforts and makes decisions to realize the INECE mission. The INECE Secretariat provides technical, administrative, and communications support for Executive Planning Committee functions and helps to implement the INECE work program. Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development, is the current Director of the INECE Secretariat.

INECE participants include inspectors, prosecutors, regulators, parliamentarians, judges, other governmental officials, and members of international and non-governmental organizations. INECE is an informal network, and any environmental compliance and enforcement practitioners may join the network by registering through the INECE Web site. [http://inece.org/INECERegistration.html] INECE participants support the mission and objectives of the network, and may carry out these activities on an individual, organizational, bilateral, and/or multilateral basis as appropriate. [ [http://inece.org/overview/structure.html The INECE Website: INECE Organizational Overview] ]

Major Projects and Activities

International Conference

INECE conferences bring together enforcement officials from both developed and developing countries all over the world to share experiences and make plans to take environmental compliance and enforcement efforts to the next level. INECE has hosted eight international conferences since 1990:

* 8th International Conference, Cape Town, South Africa - April 2008; [ [http://www.inece.org/conference/8/ INECE - 8th Conference ] ]
* 7th International Conference, Marrakesh, Morocco - April 2005; [ [http://www.inece.org/conference/7/ INECE - 7th Conference ] ]
* 6th International Conference, San Jose, Costa Rica - April 2002; [ [http://www.inece.org/CRconf.htm INECE - Conference Home ] ]
* 5th International Conference, Monterey, California, USA - November, 1998; [ [http://www.inece.org/5thvol1/5thTOC.htm 5th Conference Proceedings - Table of Contents ] ]
* 4th International Conference, Chiang Mai, Thailand - April, 1996; [ [http://www.inece.org/4thvol1/4toc.htm 4th Conference Proceedings - Table of Contents ] ]
* 3rd International Conference, Oaxaca, Mexico - April, 1994; [ [http://www.inece.org/3rdvol1/index.htm Third International Conference on Environmental Enforcement, Volumes 1 and 2 ] ]
* 2nd International Conference, Budapest, Hungary - September, 1992; [ [http://www.inece.org/2ndvol1/2ndTOC.htm INECE - 2nd Conference Proceedings ] ]
* 1st International Enforcement Workshop, Utrecht, The Netherlands - May, 1990; [ [http://www.inece.org/1stvol1/1stTOC.htm INECE - 1st Conference Proceedings ] ]

INECE Expert Working Groups

INECE expert working groups provide opportunities for participants to collaborate to respond to environmental compliance and enforcement challenges and to share knowledge gained with the broader network through workshops, conferences, publications, e-dialogues, email discussion groups, and the INECE Web Forums. Major expert working groups include:

* the INECE Expert Working Group on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Indicators [ [http://www.inece.org/forumsindicators.html INECE - Indicators Forum ] ]
* the INECE Expert Working Group on Compliance Aspects of Emissions Trading [ [http://www.inece.org/emissions/ INECE - Emissions Trading Conference ] ]
* the INECE Expert Working Group on Seaport Environmental Security [ [http://www.inece.org/seaport/ INECE - Seaport Environmental Security Project ] ]
* the International Network for Environmental Compliance Training Professionals [ [http://inece.org/trainersnetwork/ INECE - International Network for Compliance Training Professionals ] ]

Capacity Building Programs for Environmental Compliance and Enforcement

INECE training resources developed to help individuals responsible for environmental protection in different countries, regions, and localities design and implement compliance strategies and enforcement programs include:

* The Principles of Environmental Enforcement [ [http://www.inece.org/library/principles.html INECE - INECE Library ] ]
* Conducting Environmental Inspections Training Manual [ [http://www.inece.org/manual/index.html INECE - Environmental Compliance Inspection Training ] ]
* Performance Measurement Guidance for Compliance and Enforcement Practitioners (2nd edition) [http://inece.org/indicators/guidance.pdf]

See also

*Global governance
*Sustainable development
*Timeline of environmental events
*TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network

References

Further reading

* Durwood Zaelke, Donald Kaniaru, and Eva Kružíkov (Eds.), Making Law Work: Environmental Compliance & Sustainable Development (Volumes I and II). Cameron May, 2005.

External links

* [http://www.inece.org/ The INECE Website]