Directive 2008/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on the protection of the environment through criminal law

This Directive aims at obliging Member States to impose criminal penalties on certain behaviour which is seriously detrimental to the environment. This minimum threshold for harmonisation will allow EU environmental legislation to be better applied, in line with the objective for the protection of the environment laid down in Article 174 of the Treaty establishing the European Community.