environmental criminal law

Compliance is key to effective environmental law. Serious offences of environmental law are therefore sanctioned as an administrative offence with an administrative fine or even as a criminal offence punishable by a fine or imprisonment. These environmental protection regulations are important to deter potential perpetrators.

Environmental law is only effective if properly enforced. The German Environment Agency therefore works to ensure that environmental law is enforced well.

Environmental law mainly serves the purpose of ensuring that no degradation of environmental goods and services takes place. Nevertheless, if environmental harm or harm to an individual caused by environmental media should occur, the law must also have a response in these cases.