Organised Crime and Environmental Offences: New Perspectives in The Light of The Recent Un Proposals

author Denise Boriero ()
journal RIDP (ISSN: 0223-5404)
volume 2026
issue Criminal Justice Systems and Organised Crime: Old Problems and New Perspectives
section Organised Crime Between Transnational Dimension and Illicit Businesses and Trafficking
date of publication June 3, 2026
language English
pagina 79
OID
abstract

This paper explores the intersection of organised crime and environmental protection, focusing on recent European and international normative developments. Environmental protection has increasingly been recognised as an autonomous value, prompting anticipatory criminal-law models to address diffuse, cumulative, and transboundary risks. The rise of organised environmental crime has exposed gaps and fragmentation across national, EU, and international frameworks. In response, Directive (EU) 2024/1203 introduces precise offence definitions, endangerment-based liability, harmonised sanctions, and recognition of crimes by organised groups. The 2025 Council of Europe Convention provides a pan-European framework, covering corporate liability, extraterritorial jurisdiction, victim protection, and preventative measures. At the global level, the UN has initiated a process for a dedicated UNTOC Protocol to enhance cooperation and harmonisation against environmental offences. The paper also highlights the environment as a systemic legal good and the use of “intermediate legal goods” to operationalise anticipatory protection while ensuring legality and proportionality. It argues that multilevel governance, harmonised definitions, and coordinated enforcement are essential to effectively counter organised environmental crime. EU instruments offer a coherent, anticipatory model for potential international adoption, safeguarding ecosystems, public health, and intergenerational interests.