Directive 2009/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 amending Directive 2005/35/EC on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements

The purpose of Directive 2005/35/EC and of this Directive is to approximate the definition of ship-source pollution offences committed by natural or legal persons, the scope of their liability and the criminal nature of penalties that can be imposed for such criminal offences by natural persons.

On 23 October 2007 the Court of Justice of the European Communities annulled Council Framework Decision 2005/667/JHA of 12 July 2005 to strengthen the criminal-law framework for the enforcement of the law against ship-source pollution, which had supplemented Directive 2005/35/EC with criminal-law measures. This Directive should fill the legal vacuum following the judgment.