WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2678/98 by Gerhard HAGER to the Commission. Environmental crime
Date: 1998-09-01
Institutions: European Parliament, HAGER
Subjects: application of EU law, environmental offence, environmental protection, exchange of information, fact-finding mission, information, international criminal law, judicial cooperation, penalty, prevention of pollution

C 135/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.5.1999

It should also be pointed out that a number of seminars in the field of justice and home affairs have been
organised under the Austrian Presidency. A detailed list will be forwarded directly to the Honourable
Member.

In addition, work is currently under way on the publication on the Internet of documents concerning Title
VI. This work will be completed as soon as possible. A copy of the list of the European Union’s acquis in
the field of justice and home affairs up to May 1998 will be forwarded directly to the Honourable Member.

Finally, the Council would draw attention to the fact that the Protocol on the role of national parliaments in
the European Union, which will be added to the Treaties by the Amsterdam Treaty, provides for national
parliaments to be informed in good time of any legislative proposal or other significant measure to allow
them to examine it. This Protocol is intended to encourage the closer involvement of national parliaments
in the European Union’s activities and to enhance their ability to express their points of view on matters of
particular interest. It should be noted that the Council’s practice, where justice and home affairs are
concerned, is to make all documents available in the eleven official languages of the European Union at
least fifteen days before the Council meeting concerned. As a result, all national parliaments have the
possibility − through their Governments − of scrutinising the proposals made within the European Union
framework.

(1999/C 135/107)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2678/98

by Gerhard Hager (NI) to the Commission

(1 September 1998)

Subject: Environmental crime

The fight against organised crime is increasingly becoming a key concern for the Union. It is generally
agreed that the threat posed needs to be tackled through individual and joint action.

The conclusions of the Cardiff Summit noted that environmental crime was a serious, disturbing matter
whose effects often extended beyond national borders. Measures would accordingly have to be taken to
combat it.

1. What practical steps will the Commission take to answer the above call for action?

2. What particular forms will the measures take?

3. What impact will they have on criminal prosecution issues in the Member States?

Answer given by Mrs Gradin on behalf of the Commission

(5 October 1998)

The Commission agrees with the conclusions of the Cardiff European Council on the need for closer
cooperation at European level to combat environmental crime. It will examine with interest the proposals
to provide common definitions of offences announced by the Danish Minister for Justice during the public
debate at the Council meeting (Justice and Home Affairs) held in May 1998. Such measures will facilitate
judicial cooperation and prevent certain firms from taking advantage of existing disparities between
criminal laws to the detriment of the environment. The Commission feels this initiative should be
supplemented by a communication on stepping up the fight against environmental crime. The commu-
nication would cover the exchange of information, training, investigations, prevention and legal matters
such as improved enforcement of existing legislation. With regard to the last point, as the Commission
already mentioned in its communication on Implementing Community environmental law (1), it is
planning to include specific provisions in its proposals for environmental legislation, requiring the
Member States to make provision, in their transposal measures, for penalties, including criminal penalties,
in the event of an infringement of these measures.

(1) COM(96) 500 final.