The European Commission adopted the Directive on the Protection of the Environment Through Criminal Law (2008/99/EC) in 2008, which defines a number of serious offences that harm the environment and requires EU Member States to introduce effective and proportionate penalties constituting a deterrent for such offences.

Although the Directive has been implemented by all Member States, its 2019 evaluation concluded that its objectives have only been partially achieved. In December 2021, the Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive on Environmental Crime which intends to strengthen environmental protection and requires Member States to implement stronger criminal provisions. 

It is now the turn of the European Parliament to give its opinion on the Commission’s proposal and to propose amendments. Although FOUR PAWS considers the Commission’s proposal as a solid basis for fighting environmental crime, there are still some important issues that are not addressed.