Belgium became the first European country to officially recognize ecocide - causing serious harm to the environment - as a crime at national and international level. Euro-pulse.ru reports this.

The country's new criminal code defines ecocide as a serious act that leads to environmental degradation, such as an oil spill. Those responsible for ecocide can be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, and corporations can face fines of up to 1.6 million euros.

The Belgian definition of ecocide is based on the consensus formulation proposed by the Stop Ecocide Foundation in 2021. It reads:

“Illegal or wanton acts committed with the knowledge that there is a significant likelihood of serious and widespread or long-term environmental damage caused by the acts.”

If other States Parties to the Rome Statute follow Belgium's example, ecocide will become the fifth international crime, joining genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and aggression. This will allow violators to be prosecuted through the International Criminal Court in The Hague.