Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law Document type Multilateral Field of application Regional/restricted Date Nov 4, 1998 Source IUCN (ID: TRE-001292) Title (French) Convention sur la protection de l’environnement par le droit pénal Title (Other) Übereinkommen über den Schutz der Umwelt durch das Strafrecht Place of adoption Strasbourg Depository COE Council of Europe Language English, French Subject Environment gen. Keyword Law reform/harmonization/deregulation Dispute settlement Data collection/reporting Protected area Hazardous substances Emissions Protection of species Offences/penalties Hunting/capture Radioactive pollution Liability/compensation International relations/cooperation Protection of habitats Jurisdictional competence Abstract Objective: To take effective measures to ensure that the perpetrators of environmental violations do not escape prosecution and punishment and to foster international cooperation to this end. Summary of provisions: Each Party undertakes to establish certain offences as criminal under its domestic law including inter alia the introduction of substances or ionising radiation into air, soil, or water causing, or likely to cause, their lasting deterioration, death or serious injury to any person, or substantial damage to protected other protected objects, animals or plants (art. 2.1 and 3.1). Each Party is to establish jurisdiction over such criminal offences when it is committed in its territory, on board a ship or an aircraft registered in it or by one its nationals under certain conditions (art.5.1). Furthermore, Parties are to make the above mentioned offences punishable by criminal sanctions, including imprisonment, pecuniary sanctions and possibly reinstatement of the environment (art. 6- 8). Article 9 specifies the conditions under which corporate liability may be invoked. Finally, each Party may declare that it will grant any group, foundation or association which according to its statutes aims at the protection of the environment, the right to participate in criminal proceedings concerning offences established in accordance with this Convention (art. 11). Parties agree to afford each other the widest measure of cooperation in investigations and judicial proceeding (art. 12). (Source: IUCN ELC, 08.2005) Full text English French Website www.coe.int Country/Territory/Participant See Expanded View Show Map Countries Entry into force Ratification * Simple signature Reservation Austria - - May 7, 1999 - Belgium - - May 7, 1999 - Denmark - - Nov 4, 1998 - Estonia - Apr 26, 2002 [1] Jun 1, 2001 - Finland - - Nov 4, 1998 - France - - Nov 4, 1998 - Germany - - Nov 4, 1998 - Greece - - Nov 4, 1998 - Iceland - - Nov 4, 1998 - Italy - - Nov 6, 2000 Nov 6, 2000 Luxembourg - - Mar 17, 1999 - Romania - - Feb 15, 1999 - Sweden - - Nov 4, 1998 - Ukraine - - Jan 24, 2006 - * [1] Ratification [2] Accession/approbation [3] Acceptance/approval [4] Succession [5] Consent to be bound [6] Definite signature reset zoom out zoom in Other references Literature 2 records related to this treaty. View literature