Environmental protection: combating crime, criminal offences and penalties

The committee adopted the report by Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN (EPP-ED, NL) broadly approving the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading), subject to a few amendments. In particular, it wanted to ensure that incitement to breaking the law was also classed as an offence under the directive and that provision was made for the possibility of confiscating any profits gained as a result of the offences. It also added pollution of the air, soil or water with harmful substances or ionising radiation to the list of offences and deleted the annex itemising the existing Community legislation protecting the environment, preferring to refer to breaches of law in general terms.�