Tag: environmental crime

After eight years of negotiation, the European Parliament has reached an agreement with member states on legislation that will force national governments to apply criminal sanctions to those causing deliberate or negligent damage to the environment.

The Commission has the right to force member states to introduce criminal penalties for instances of maritime pollution such as the discharge of oil and other noxious substances from ships in EU waters. However, it does not have the power to fix the type and level of these penalties, stated a Europan Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on 23 October.

A new proposal seeks to oblige member states to impose criminal sanctions for illegal emissions of pollutants into the air, water and soil to punish breaches of environmental law.

EU ministers are awaiting a European Court of Justice verdict on Commission claims that a decision to harmonise sanctions against environmental crime should fall under the first pillar.

The Commission decided on 31 March to ask the European Court of Justice to annul the Framework Decision on environmental crime, adopted by the Council in January 2003.