The European Parliament passed a historic decision on the recognition of ecocide at the EU level. According to its decision, the European Parliament supports the inclusion of ecocide in the revised EU Directive on Protection of the Environment, with the help of criminal law.
This is the first time in history that such a definition has been included in a legislative text at the European level. The proposed definition is as close as possible to the international definition of ecocide proposed by the Independent Expert Panel formed by the Stop Ecocide Foundation1. It is worth noting that the definition of a serious crime, taking into account the damage caused, is also included here. Such is defined in the project of the Independent Expert Panel as “severe or widespread, long-term or irreversible”.
The impetus for this decision was the fact that just as humanity faced genocide and crimes against humanity in 1945, today the world community faces a new threat: severe and wide-spread environmental damage.
We emphasize that if the agreement of the European Council and the European Commission is reached, all the EU member states will have to include the crime of “ecocide” in their national legislation. Therefore, this will be a decisive step towards the international recognition of this crime, because EU member states make up more than 20% of the member states of the International Criminal Court.
Criminalising ecocide is an important tool for protecting the environment, ensuring sustainable development and accountability for damage caused to nature and humanity, both in peacetime and during wartime. Protection of the environment and preservation of natural resources is an important task for the entire civilized world. Criminalising ecocide can help combat these problems and ensure sustainable development for future generations.
