Illegal waste trafficking, institutional corruption, and illicit disposal practices are fast becoming central fault lines in Europe’s environmental, criminal justice, and governance agenda. In many municipalities, weak oversight or fragmented responsibilities allow criminal networks to exploit waste flows, evade accountability, and erode public trust.
On 8 October 2025, the international round table on Urban Waste Wars: Tackling Crime, Corruption and Pollution, co-organized with the Center for the Study of Democracy, convened senior national and municipal decision-makers, law enforcement, and European agencies to bridge the governance gap between local and state authorities. Discussions focused on reinforcing legal frameworks in line with the new EU environmental crime directive, integrating procurement and municipal oversight into national enforcement regimes, strengthening digital traceability of waste streams, and advancing cross-border models of joint investigation. Key voices included Bulgaria’s Justice Minister Georgi Georgiev, who warned that “when institutions argue, criminals win,” and Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, who emphasized that “municipalities cannot tackle this alone – we need institutions that act predictably and decisively.” Europol’s Francisco José Acosta Díaz underscored the European dimension by pointing to the inclusion of environmental crime among the EMPACT 2026–2029 priorities.
By uniting policy, operations and local governance, Urban Waste Wars aimed to catalyze a durable agenda where clean waste management becomes not a vulnerability, but a benchmark of accountable government.
