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 - Disability cards

EMPL CRPD Network meeting

LEX signing ceremony in presence of Roberta METSOLA, EP President

EP Plenary session  - Commission statement - Healthy lifestyle and active ageing in the EU

EP Plenary session - Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7)

EP Plenary session - Data collection and sharing relating to short-term accommodation rental services

Press conference on Environmental crime directive

Trilogue on Environmental Crimes

JURI Committee -  Vote on  its position on a draft bill on the protection of the environment through criminal law

Trilogue on  the final shape of EU rules for the design, production and disposal of batteries

Toine MANDERS, Martin SCHULZ EP President

Martin SCHULZ - EP President meets with MEP Toine MANDERS

Martin SCHULZ EP President, Toine MANDERS

Martin SCHULZ EP President meets with Toine MANDERS

Toine MANDERS and Antonio TAJANI , Commissioner in charge of industry

meeting beetween Toine MANDERS and Antonio TAJANI -Commissioner in charge of industry

Edvard KOZUSNIK, Malcolm HARBOUR, Lara COMI, Christel SCHALDEMOSE, Toine MANDERS, Heide RUHLE

PRESS CONFERENCE ON STANDARDISATION

Commissionner Siim KALLAS and Toine MANDERS

The EU next challenge: building a Single European Area for Transport and Mobility through renewed TEN-T

Members of European Parliament Lara COMI, Toine MANDERS and Christel SCHALDEMOSE in a press conference in Strasbourg.

Press conference by Comi, Manders and Schaldemose

MEP Toine MANDERS in Brussels

Toine MANDERS in a meeting at the EP in Brussels

MEP Toine MANDERS attends a plenary session in Strasbourg

Toine MANDERS at the EP in Strasbourg.

MEP Toine MANDERS speaks in plenary session in Strasbourg

Arlene McCARTHY, Hans-Gert POETTERING, Willy DE CLERCQ, Toine MANDERS, Charles TANNOCK

Action against piracy inside the EP in Strasbourg

MEPs adopt the first EU-wide Disability Card and Parking Card for persons with disabilities during the plenary session in Strasbourg. The new rules, already agreed on by the Parliament and the Council, establishes an EU-wide disability card to make sure that, when travelling for a short period, people with disabilities have equal access to preferential conditions, such as reduced or zero entry fees, priority access and access to reserved parking. Opening statements by Lucia ĎURIŠ NICHOLSONOVÁ (Renew, SK), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Alice KUHNKE (Greens/EFA, SE), Rapporteurs, Linus GLANZELIUS (S&D, SE), TRAN Committee, Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT (EPP, ES), FEMM Committee. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Joint Debate - Disability cards: Opening statements by Rapporteurs, Linus GLANZELIUS (S&D, SE), TRAN Committee, Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Rosa ESTARÀS FERRAGUT (EPP, ES), FEMM Committee

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Type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions and battery durability (Euro 7): Opening statement by Alexandr VONDRA (ECR, CZ), Rapporteur, and Elisa FERREIRA, Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms

Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), rapporteur, holds a press conference on the Environmental crime directive. 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. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Press conference by Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), rapporteur on the Environmental crime directive

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Joint debate - MFF revision: MEPs debate

MEPs give their final green light to a new directive on environmental crime, as agreed with the Member States in November 2023. 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. Short presentation of the topic.

Short presentations - Report: Antonius Manders (A9-0087/2023) - Protection of the environment through criminal law

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Voting session: implementation of the principle of the primacy of EU law

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Batteries and waste batteries: opening statement by Achille VARIATI (S&D, IT), Rapporteur, Patrizia TOIA (S&D, IT), Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Virginijus SINKEVIČIUS, European Commissioner for Environment and by Erik BERGKVIST (S&D, SE)

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The Legal Affairs (JURI) Committee adopt its position on a draft bill on the protection of the environment through criminal law. The proposal introduces new environmental crimes and sanctions for companies and individuals. Extracts from the vote and statement by Antonius MANDERS (EPP, NL), Rapporteur.

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