Environmental crimes cost us billions: sanctions must reflect this

The European Union must step up action to tackle an environmental crime spree that is costing us billions, that’s the conclusion of a new EEB report published today.

The report entitled ‘Crime and Punishment’ presents a series of recommendations to Member States and the European Commission to improve the investigation and sanctioning of environmental crimes in the EU. It calls for increased resources and capacity to investigate crimes and the setting of clear guidelines to align sanctions between Member States.

The EEB is Europe’s largest network of environmental organisations with 140 members in over 30 countries.

Environmental crime, including logging, mining, waste dumping and the illegal wildlife trade, is one of the most profitable types of criminal activity, worth an estimated $258 billion every year.

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