Environmental crime
Environmental crime is one of the world’s most profitable organised criminal activities, and has a major impact not only on the environment, but also on human health.
What is environmental crime?
Environmental crime offences include:
- improper collection, transport, recovery or disposal of waste
- illegal emission or discharge of substances into the atmosphere, water or soil
- the killing, destruction, possession of or trade in protected wild animal or plant species
- illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances
The EU's fight against environmental crime (infographic)
What action is the EU taking to curb environmental crime?
The EU has taken action to combat criminal networks involved in all forms of environmental crime, including by introducing rules on waste management and on trade in wildlife and plants. The EU is also strengthening the existing rules on the protection of the environment through criminal law.
EU countries intend to do more, in particular by targeting crime groups with a capability to infiltrate legal business structures or set up their own companies to facilitate their crimes.
On 16 November 2023, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the new EU law.
On 26 March 2024. the Council adopted this revised EU law with tougher sanctions and an extended list of offences.
- Environmental crime: Council clears new EU law with tougher sanctions and extended list of offences (press release, 26 March 2024)
- Environmental crime: Council and European Parliament reach provisional agreement on new EU law (press release, 16 November 2023)
- Council agrees its negotiating mandate on the environmental crime directive (press release, 9 December 2022)
- Environmental crime (Europol)
Last review: 26 March 2024