Featured image: The new ecocide law in Croatia will introduce tougher penalties for arson/CU illustration
Croatia is preparing to introduce ecocide as a new criminal offence, with companies facing fines of up to €50 million for the most serious environmental crimes.
Justice Minister Damir Habijan said the government would consider the proposal on September 10. The proposed ecocide law in Croatia is part of a broader package of changes to criminal legislation that also includes tougher penalties for starting fires and the introduction of life imprisonment.
The changes are currently open for public consultation. They would still need to pass through the government and the Croatian Parliament before becoming law.
What the ecocide law in Croatia would change
The new offence would cover particularly serious crimes against the environment, commonly described as ecocide.
According to the Croatian government, the maximum fine for legal entities convicted of ecocide would rise from €20 million to €50 million. The maximum fine connected with crimes committed through a criminal organisation would also increase from €25 million to €50 million.
The amendments would require changes to the law governing the criminal responsibility of companies and other legal entities.
Habijan said the new offence was intended to strengthen Croatia’s response to environmental damage and form part of a wider revision of the country’s criminal justice system.
Tougher prison sentences for starting fires
The government is also proposing significantly higher prison sentences for crimes against public safety, including those involving deliberately started fires.
Offences currently punishable by between one and five years in prison could carry sentences of up to ten years. Where a crime causes extensive material damage, the proposed sentence would increase from the current range of one to ten years to between three and 15 years.
If the offence results in death or multiple injuries, courts could impose a sentence ranging from at least five years to long-term imprisonment.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the proposed introduction of life imprisonment would allow courts to use that sentence in the most serious cases involving deaths or large numbers of injured people.
The ministry linked the tougher approach to Croatia’s recent severe wildfire season, which caused deaths and extensive material damage.
Proposal still has to pass through Parliament
The legislative package is expected to receive its first consideration by the government on September 10. It would then enter the regular parliamentary procedure.
Before the ecocide law in Croatia can take effect, its final wording may be changed during consultations, government consideration and debate in Parliament.
Ministers are also expected to discuss a separate proposal to withdraw agricultural subsidies from people convicted of serious crimes or offences against Croatia’s constitutional order.
Habijan said the proposal had not yet been discussed at ministerial level, but an operational meeting was planned. He added that several ministries would need to consider how such a measure could be implemented before any concrete decision was made.
