摘要：Considering that the guarantee of a high level of environmental protection is a major objective and being convinced that the existing systems of sanctions have not been sufficient to achieve complete compliance with laws for the protection of the environment, this paper intends to describe the general framework regarding the criminal liability at international and European Union levels. From the very beginning we would like to outline that the first binding international convention, having as purpose the creation of an European criminal law, to criminalize acts causing or likely to cause environmental damage was adopted by the Council of Europe on November 04, 1998. Notwithstanding, the Convention on the protection of the environment through criminal law (hereinafter .the Convention"), is not into force, given that, up to this date, it has been signed by thirteen Council of Europe member states (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Romania, Sweden, and Ukraine), and ratified only by one of these countries (Estonia).
