Commission and member states must halt ‘environmental crime spree’, say campaigners

The EU executive began evaluating its principle legislation in the area - the Environmental Crime Directive - last year, with Brussels-based campaign group the European Environmental Bureau calling on it to widen the scope of what activities are considered “environmental crime”. 

In a new report, the group says that illegal extractive activities should be included within the directive, even if they do not harm a habitat or species currently protected under EU law.