Criminal Enforcement of Environmental Law in the European

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ID European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of

2003
rok Environmental Law

I. Introduction. 9

II. Summary of country reports .. 13

§ 1. Criminal liability of corporations for environmental offences . 13

A. CORPORATE LIABILITY. 15

B. OTHER POSSIBILITIES AND DRAWBACKS. 15

C. CRIMINAL LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS/MANAGERS 16

§ 2. The role of enforcing bodies and individuals in connection with environmental offences 17

A. THE RIGHT TO START A PROSECUTION BEFORE THE CRIMINAL COURT . 17

B. THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS, ENFORCING BODIES, THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC

PROSECUTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE INVESTIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME 19

C. THE CONTRIBUTION OF INDIVIDUALS AND ENFORCING BODIES TO THE PROPER

REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW .. 20

§ 3. Criminal penalties 21

A. CRIMINAL SANCTIONS THAT MAY BE APPLIED TO THOSE FOUND LIABLE FOR

ENVIRONMENTAL OFFENCES AND ACTUAL PRACTICE.. 21

B. (IM)POPULARITY OF SPECIFIC SANCTIONS. 23

§ 4. Administrative sanctions .. 23

A. GENERAL ISSUES .. 23

B. SANCTIONS, CHARACTER AND RELATIONSHIP TO CRIMINAL SANCTIONS 26

C. IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMENTS. 27

§ 5. Existence of instruments which prohibit individuals from carrying out a similar activity. 28

A. GENERAL ISSUES .. 28

B. LEGAL POSSIBILITIES, CHARACTER AND INSTITUTIONS .. 30

C. IMPLEMENTATION, EXAMPLES AND SPECIAL QUESTIONS.. 30

§ 6. Transfrontier pollution incidents 31

§ 7. Criminal liability for environmental offences by public servants and public authorities.. 33

A. GENERAL ISSUES .. 33

B. CRIMINAL LIABILITY, PREREQUISITES AND OTHER LIABILITIES.. 35

C. IMPLEMENTATION AND PROBLEMS OF CRIMINAL LIABILITY 36

§ 8. Miscellaneous .. 37

III. Evaluation of the answers. 41

§ 1. Criminal liability of corporations for environmental offences . 41

A. CORPORATE CRIMINAL LIABILITY 41

B. CRIMINAL LIABILITY OF DIRECTORS AND MANAGERS.. 43

§ 2. The role of enforcing bodies and individuals in connection with environmental offences 44

A. GENERAL ISSUES .. 44

B. THE ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS, ENFORCING BODIES, THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC

PROSECUTOR WITH RESPECT TO THE INVESTIGATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME 45

1. Powers of control versus investigation of a suspected crime.. 45

2. Technical expertise and cooperation 46

3. Administrative sanctions 47

C. ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS AND NGO'S.. 49

1. Influence of individuals on the criminal enforcement of environmental law: general.. 49

2. The right to start a prosecution before the criminal court 50

D. SUMMARY AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE 51

§ 3. Criminal penalties 53

A. SANCTIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION 53

B. TENDENCY TOWARDS LOW FINES IN PRACTICE . 54

C. EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CRIMINAL PENALTIES 56

D. REASONS FOR LOW SANCTIONS IN ENVIRONMENTAL LEGAL PRACTICE. 58

E. WHO IMPOSES CRIMINAL SANCTIONS? 59

F. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.. 60

§ 4. Administrative sanctions .. 61

§ 5. Existence of instruments which prohibit individuals from carrying out a similar activity. 62

A. GENERAL ISSUE. 62

B. SPECIFIC QUESTIONS.. 63

§ 6. Transfrontier pollution incidents 63

A. EXAMPLES. 63

B. SPECIFIC "TRANSBOUNDARY" PROBLEMS .. 64

C. EFFECTIVENESS OF EXISTING TREATIES 66

D. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE.. 67

§ 7. Criminal liability for environmental offences by public servants and public authorities.. 68

A. GENERAL ISSUES .. 68

B. ADDRESSEES 69

C. IMPORTANCE OF THE CRIMINAL PROVISIONS - EFFECTS . 69

§ 8. Miscellaneous .. 70

A. EFFECTIVENESS OF ADMINISTRATIVE SANCTIONS AS A DETERRENT .. 70

B. TOLERANCE IN CASE OF "TECHNICAL BREACHES".. 73

C. INFORMATION AND THE ROLE OF INTELLIGENCE SERVICES . 75

IV. Concluding remarks .. 77

List of references . 81

Annex 1:

Questionnaire 85

Annex 2:

Country reports 89

§ 1. Austria .. 91

§ 2. Belgium 93

§ 3. Denmark..99

§ 4. Finland108

§ 5. Germany112

§ 6. Italy 119

§ 7. The Netherlands .129

§ 8. Portugal ..134

§ 9. Spain.137

§ 10. Sweden.142

§ 11. United Kingdom148

Annex 3:

Convention for the protection of the environment through criminal law.159

Annex 4:

Resolutions of the XVth International Congress of Penal Law (Rio de Janeiro, September 4-10th

1994)..171

Annex 5:

Impel Directory: Responsible Bodies for Investigation and prosecution .179

Brief description of national systems of investigation and prosecution of environmental crime 192