Penalties for environmental crimes should increase, draft to be discussed by the government

Penalties for harming the environment are expected to be significantly increased, potentially up to 10 years in prison. This is included in an amendment to the Criminal Code, which also revises the definitions of existing environmental crimes and introduces new ones, including the prosecution of perpetrators of so-called “ecocide,” meaning the most severe forms of ecological disasters. The proposal from the Ministry of Justice, which is based on a relevant European directive, will be discussed by the government on Monday.

The authors of the amendment pointed out that in the Czech Republic, the vast majority of illegal acts against the environment are currently treated only as misdemeanors, which has been criticized. The effectiveness of prosecuting this type of crime is also low. Between 2000 and 2024, around 100 people and 8 companies were convicted of environmental crimes. Offenders most often received suspended sentences or fines. Only in two cases did courts send them to prison. The highest corporate fine amounted to 600,000 Czech crowns.