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Europe steps up its fight against fraud
European watchdogs have long been focusing on enforcement against corporate crime with a great focus on anti-corruption, economic sanctions and money laundering.
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Australia | Publication | March 2024
Penalties for many environmental crimes will double under the Environment Protection Legislation Amendment (Stronger Regulation and Penalties) Bill 2024, introduced on 14 March 2024.
Recent criminal investigations into asbestos-contaminated mulch, and a general need to strengthen penalties and deterrence, prompted these changes.
The Bill includes the following increased penalties:
The Bill also grants the following powers to the EPA and the Land and Environment Court:
These amendments clearly signal an increased focus on environmental crime, and in particular, greater scrutiny on waste-related activities.
Whilst the EPA has always had the power to cast a wide net when investigating and prosecuting waste offences, the Bill specifically empowers the EPA to investigate the entire material/waste supply chain, and to order product recalls of potentially contaminated material on an urgent basis.
These sweeping powers make it even more important for businesses who may be on the receiving end of recycled or reprocessed materials to ensure the integrity of all generators and operators along the supply chain.
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European watchdogs have long been focusing on enforcement against corporate crime with a great focus on anti-corruption, economic sanctions and money laundering.
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The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC Act) received Royal Assent on 24 May 2024 and is generally expected to come into force in autumn this year.
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Head of Legal Operations, Stephanie Hamon, will be joining the panel discussion on "Simplifying Legal Tech Adoption and Implementation" at the Legal Tech Talk conference on June 13th (3:30 - 4:15 PM).
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