Current status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to align with European Union standards where appropriate, what assessment it has made of the EU Environmental Crime Directive (2024/1203), which Member States must transpose by May 2026, and how a proposed ecocide offence could bridge any gap between existing Scottish law and the new EU "qualified offence" standard for the most serious environmental harms.
The Scottish Government is continuing to consider the EU Environmental Crime Directive (2024/1203) against our alignment policy. We consider that the existing offence of causing significant environmental harm at section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 is reasonably closely aligned with the Directive’s introduction of “qualified offences” for more serious environmental damage.