Parliament is set to approve new rules aiming to protect the environment in the EU through criminal law.

Following a debate on Monday, MEPs are expected to give their final green light to a new directive on environmental crime, as agreed with the member states in November 2023, on Tuesday. The new law provides an updated list of environmental crimes including illegal timber trade, depletion of water resources or breaches of EU chemicals legislation. It also introduces the so-called qualified offence of causing the destruction of an ecosystem, such as large-scale forest fires, and thus comparable to ecocide.

Individual offenders, including company representatives, can face prison sentences of up to five or ten years depending on the severity of the crime. They will also be required to reinstate the environment they destroyed and compensate for the damage. Companies can also face fines of up to 5% of their worldwide turnover or 40 million euro.

Background

The new legislation aims to tackle the rising number of environmental crimes in the EU. Environmental crime is the fourth largest criminal activity in the world and is one of the main sources of income for organised crime alongside drugs, weapons and human trafficking.

Press conference -  Environmental crime directive

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers - Requirements for payment service providers - Measures to strengthen administrative cooperation in order to combat VAT fraud

Receipt VAT - cashier's receipt

EP plenary session - Joint debate - Rules on VAT : Harmonising and simplifying certain rules in the VAT system - Report: Jeppe Kofod

VAT taxation: proposal for a single EU VAT area

Illustration of a single EU VAT area with a calculator and a fountain pen

CONT hearing ' Corporate VAT fraud '

The Americans seemed to have mastered both. Europeana was set up to rival Google’s digital library, but 18 months after its launch content in the US library outstrips its EU counterpart and generates 7 billion dollars in turnover. Greater interest and fun

78 results

Events (1)

Press conference - Environmental crime directive

Videos (1)

Culture versus business?

Photoset (6)

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers - Requirements for payment service providers - Measures to strengthen administrative cooperation in order to combat VAT fraud

Receipt VAT - cashier's receipt

EP plenary session - Joint debate - Rules on VAT : Harmonising and simplifying certain rules in the VAT system - Report: Jeppe Kofod

Illustration of a single EU VAT area with a calculator and a fountain pen

CONT hearing ' Corporate VAT fraud '

Photos (70)

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers - Requirements for payment service providers - Measures to strengthen administrative cooperation in order to combat VAT fraud

EP Plenary session - Joint debate - VAT fraud and payment service providers - Requirements for payment service providers - Measures to strengthen administrative cooperation in order to combat VAT fraud