Environment must be protected by criminal law

2.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 21st May 2008

The European Parliament has backed a key report today that will impose criminal sanctions on those that break environmental laws in all Member States.

Local Liberal Democrat Euro MP, Diana Wallis said:

"It is historic in the development of the co-decision process and particularly for the European Parliament to be involved in setting penalties in relation to criminal law.

"This directive will at last bring legal certainty in an area where in the past we have witnessed a rather undignified ping pong between the European Court of Justice and the various arms of the European legislature. Now we have some certainty and some clarity.

"Above all, it is a big plus for protection of the environment. Over the years, as a member of the Petitions Committee, I have seen that it is damage to the environment that most frequently brings people to seek our help in implementing what they see should be European law. For example, there has been a huge outcry from the RSPB and among my constituents about the hunting of wild birds in Malta. The island is an important resting place for birds migrating over the Mediterranean, but during spring and autumn, hunters blast birds out of the skies in incredible numbers.

"Now at last we will be able to say that we have - or should have - the effective means to make sure that European environmental law is indeed implemented and enforced in Malta and elsewhere across the European Union."

Diana Wallis MEP is the Legal Affairs Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats and shadow rapporteur on this report.