EUROPEAN COMMISSION PUSHES FOR ECOCRIME DIRECTIVE

BY KEITH NUTHALL
UTILTIES that kill or seriously injure a person through illegal environmental negligence would be fined at least Euro 750,000 and see executives face five years in jail under a new proposed European Union (EU) directive on 'eco-crime'. The European Commission wants member states to criminalise offences including "the illegal emission of hazardous substances into the air, water or soil", and introduce minimum "dissuasive punishments".



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