Improving capabilities of law enforcement to counter climate-related challenges

¿De qué trata esta convocatoria?

The topic funds research, skills and technology that help police counter crime made more likely by climate change, from environmental crime to trafficking. Police authorities must be part of the consortium.

¿Qué financia esta convocatoria?

Scope

Climate change is a megatrend that will affect European law enforcement and is likely to open new opportunities and resources for organised crime. Resource scarcity may create scarcity markets that criminal networks seek to dominate, including in essential goods such as food and water. Climate-driven migration may increase human trafficking and exploitation, biodiversity decline may expose threatened species to wildlife traffickers, and new technologies will strengthen criminal organisations. Examples given are environmental crimes (illegal mining and extraction, illegal use of water sources, illegal deforestation, illegal waste management), wildlife trafficking and poaching, fraud and financial crime (greenwashing, carbon credit fraud, misuse of climate funds), exploitation of climate disasters (water theft, looting, land grabbing) and social tensions such as new forms of radicalisation and displacement that challenge public order.

What proposals should do

Proposals should analyse the links between climate-driven resource scarcity and crime opportunities, recognise emerging trends to inform plans and policies, and equip law enforcement with specialised skills, technology, including forensics, and training. Technological and societal angles should be balanced, and the topic requires social sciences and humanities expertise, with gender-specific vulnerabilities considered where relevant. Coordination among successful proposals should avoid duplication. Projects are expected to say how they would engage with the Europol Innovation Lab, including to validate outcomes, and to cooperate with CEPOL on police training provided it opts out of applying for funding. Proposals should address the applicable considerations in the introduction to the Fighting Crime and Terrorism destination. Activities are expected to reach technology readiness level 5 by the end of the project.

Expected outcomes

Contributions to some or all of: police authorities equipped with specialised skills and technologies against climate-related illegal activities and new opportunistic criminal patterns; better understanding by policymakers of how climate change affects law enforcement, to support effective European policy; and better knowledge of how climate change phenomena affect social dynamics and demands on public authorities to keep public order, beyond traditional views of crime and terrorism.

¿Qué se espera de las propuestas?

• Active involvement of other security practitioners, such as civil security services, border guard or customs authorities, is encouraged where relevant.

¿Cuándo termina el plazo?

5 de noviembre de 2026

5 November 2026.