Subject: Ecocide Law Advisory and Manual for a National Criminalisation of Ecocide
From: "Lucy Rees" <[email-masked]>
To: "Justiitsministeerium", "Maria-Elisa Tuulik"
Cc: "Kate Mackintosh" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:05:29 +0200

Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.
Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.	

 
Dear Liisa-Ly Pakosta (Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs), 

On behalf of Stop Ecocide International, we are writing to you in respect
to the transposition of the European Crime Directive, and in particular
the aspects of the new Directive that refer to crimes comparable to
ecocide.

In 2024 the European Union (EU) included crimes ‘comparable to ecocide’
as a qualified offence within its revised EU Crime Directive.  

As you will be aware EU Member states now have until May 2026 to
transpose the law into national legislation. Directive - EU - 2024/1203 -
EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu). 

Manual For A National Criminalisation of Ecocide

We are delighted to share this new Manual For A National Criminalisation
of Ecocide, the product of a working group initiated and chaired by former
Dutch parliamentarian Lammert van Raan. The manual, produced by Ecocide
Law Advisory, is a comprehensive resource to support the transposition of
ecocide law from the ECD into national legal frameworks, offering
practical guidance for integrating ecocide as a stand-alone crime or as
part of broader legal provisions and offers potential solutions to the
following areas of interpretation:
*   Unlawfulness
*   Mens Rea
*   Thresholds for Environmental Harm
*   Offense of infringement or endangerment
*   Extraterritorial jurisdiction 

Ecocide Law Advisory

Ecocide Law Advisory is a partnership between The UCLA Law Promise
Institute Europe and Climate Counsel to provide expert legal advice and
training on the drafting and implementation of ecocide laws. To date they
have provided advice to national law makers in Belgium, Brazil, Iceland,
The Netherlands, Scotland, Ukraine and the UK as well as to members of the
EU Parliament on the revision of the EU Environmental Crimes Directive. 

Stop Ecocide International

Stop Ecocide International (SEI) is a global initiative working towards
the implementation of ecocide law at the international, regional and
national levels. Stop Ecocide International has been enabling the
development of this conversation at both diplomatic and societal levels
accelerating the global conversation. SEI supports a network of over 50
national branches and associations, from every region of the world, and a
range of sector-based groups including finance and business, scientists,
oceans, farmers and agriculture, art and culture that are all aligned with
the global initiative.

Growth of Ecocide Law movement

In addition to the inclusion of crimes comparable to ecocide in the
European Crime Directive, 

On the 9th September 2024 Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa submitted a formal
proposal to the International Criminal Court for the inclusion of the
crime of ecocide in the Rome Statute, as an atrocity scale crime at the
international level. This discussion is now ongoing within the formal
processes of the International Criminal Court. In October 2024 Democratic
Republic of Congo became the first African nation to publicly support the
formal proposal for ecocide law at the international level. 

Several countries have also opted to introduce ecocide law into their
national penal codes, these countries include France and Belgium with an
economic crime of ecocide having been introduced in Chile. There are also
ongoing legislative proposals in Brazil, Mexico,Netherlands, Italy and
Peru. 

If you would like further support then Ecocide Law Advisory can provide
direct support with the ECD transposition process. If that is something
that you would like to discuss further please do get in touch.

Thank you

Yours faithfully 
Lucy Rees

Lucy Rees
National Campaigns Coordinator 

&#43;44 7767 312213

  

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

“Ecocide” means unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that
there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or
long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.
(Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide 2021)

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