Continuous and smooth cooperation among the Offices of the Prosecutors General of the Visegrad Group States has long been a priority. It was the 10th occasion that Prosecutors General met at this yearly event, having been regularly organized in a different country each time since 2012. Participants of the negotiations held in Bratislava adopted a Declaration on the fight against environmental crimes as well as on prosecutors’ activities outside the criminal law field.
The meeting, which looks back upon long traditions, was hosted in Bratislava on 21-22nd September 2022. The meeting was attended by delegations led by Maroš Žilinka Prosecutor General of the Slovak Republic, by Igor Stříž Prosecutor General of the Czech Republic, by Dariusz Barski Deputy Prosecutor General of Poland and by dr. Péter Polt Prosecutor General of Hungary.
The objective of the meeting was to foster a discussion about the actions necessary for increasing the effectiveness of the fight against environmental crimes and to give an overview of the activities of prosecution services of the participant countries in the field outside the criminal law.
At the end of the meeting, the parties adopted a Declaration emphasizing that that the main tools of the fight against environmental crimes include the location, freezing and confiscation of the instruments and assets intended for or acquired through the commission of such crimes. The parties highlighted the need for specialization and training, as well as the importance of cooperation between the V4 Member States, national authorities and non-governmental organizations.
The parties also addressed in the Declaration that prosecutors working in the field outside the criminal law carry out their duties to protect the public interest, to ensure legality and the respect of fundamental rights in compliance with international treaties and conventions.
Continuous and smooth cooperation among the Offices of the Prosecutors General of the Visegrad Group States has been a priority for several years.
Last year the Office of the Prosecutor General of Hungary had the honour to host the Prosecutors General of the Visegrad Group States. In addition to the meeting held in June 2021, the participants were also invited to and attended the international conference organized for the 150th anniversary of the Prosecution Service of Hungary.
