Prosecution of Environmental and Climate Offences Within the EU: Europol, Eurojust, OLAF, EPPO

In the fight against the climate crisis and the environmental degradation, the EU and its member states are expanding criminal law. The most recent development is the EU Directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law (2024/1203), which must be implemented into national law by May 2026. However, national criminal prosecution in this area faces particular challenges, as these offences often affect multiple states. The following article explores whether environmental and climate offences can be prosecuted at the European level by Europol, Eurojust, OLAF and the EPPO.