Keywords
European Union
Environmental crime
Criminal law
Human rights
Environmental protection
Submitted : 2026-01-14
Accepted : 2026-01-29
Published : 2026-02-13
Abstract
The concept of ecocide has re-emerged in contemporary legal and policy discourse as a response to large-scale and irreversible environmental destruction. Within the European Union (EU), increasing concern over climate change, biodiversity loss, and corporate accountability has intensified debates on whether ecocide should be recognized as a criminal offence under EU law. This article examines the legal, philosophical, and normative justifications for the criminalization of ecocide in the EU. Through a doctrinal and normative legal analysis, the article evaluates the adequacy of existing EU environmental and criminal law frameworks, explores the relationship between environmental protection and human rights, and assesses alternative regulatory approaches. The article argues that current legal mechanisms remain fragmented and insufficient to address severe environmental harm and that the criminalization of ecocide would fulfil both preventive and expressive functions within EU law. The article concludes that the adoption of a harmonized and comprehensive definition of ecocide is a necessary step towards strengthening environmental protection and legal accountability in the European Union.
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