In November 2023, the EU Parliament, the Commission, and the Council reached a political agreement on the revision of the Environmental Crime Directive. The agreement criminalise "cases comparable to ecocide", i.e. actions that cause widespread, substantial and irreversible or long-lasting damage to large or important ecosystems, habitats or the quality of air, soil or water. Specifically, it adds many more instances of environmental misconduct as crimes, such as illegal logging and habit destruction, and ensures stiff penalities and even jail time.
This is a huge step forward for environmental protection. This agreement will be formally passed in spring 2024, and Member states will then have two years to put it into national law. You can find more details here from the EU Parliament and from international media. .