Last week, specifically on May 14, the Approval by the Council of Europe of the known as «Stop Ecocide«: a treaty so far historical and where a whole catalog of Environmental crimes considered seriousin addition to typifying them.
More specifically it is the agreement on the protection of the environment through criminal law and will enter into force when at least a dozen Member States sign in their favor and among which the 8 countries that belong to the Council of Europe must also be included.
«This agreement represents the most explicit legal recognition until the date of the concept of echocide in a European legal instrument that is binding. It is also part of the five -year environmental strategy adopted together with the treaty, which added to the new Directive of Environmental Crimes of the European Union Already the formal proposal of the Pacific island states to add the echocide to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, represents an important step towards a greater legal responsibility for the environmental damage Serious, ”they explain from Brussels.
«Stop Ecocide»: specifying and typifying serious environmental crimes
This week, the Council of Europe has adopted a historical treaty: the agreement on environmental protection through criminal law, which defines and typifies a wide range of serious environmental crimes.
Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on May 14, 2025, this agreement allows states to prosecute behaviors that cause environmental disasters “comparable to echocide.” It is now open to the firm and will enter into force once ratified by at least 10 states, among which 8 members of the Council of Europe must be included.
Although the term “echocide” is not used in the operational clauses, the preamble of the agreement makes explicit reference to the term, and its provisions on “especially serious crimes” and “aggravating circumstances” faithfully reflect the definition of 2021 proposed by the panel of independent experts that was summoned by the fSTOP ECOCIDIDE UNDACIÓN. Key aspects:
- The establishment of minimum legal standards for environmental crimes
- Existence of sanctions for corporate offenders
- Protection for environmental defenders and complainants
- Public access to information and justice
This agreement represents the most explicit legal recognition until the date of the concept of echocide in a European legal instrument that is binding. It is also part of the five -year environmental strategy adopted together with the Treaty, which added to the new Directive of Environmental Crimes of the European Union (adopted in April 2024) and the formal proposal of the Pacific’s island states to add the echocide to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (happened last September), It represents an important step towards greater legal responsibility for serious environmental damages.
«By typifying as a crime the destruction of the environment comparable to echocide, this treaty marks a historical moment in environmental law. He acknowledges that massive damage to nature is not simply a normative lapse, but a crime that deserves to be persecuted. The agreement can now serve as a model for a world reform, with implications that go far beyond Europe. Let’s encourage states not only to sign and ratify this important agreement, but also to recognize that serious and extensive or lasting environmental damage should always be prohibited as a serious crime, ”said Jojo Mehta, executive and co -founder director of Stop Ecocidio International.