Moves are underway at national and European Union level to strengthen the penalties for breaches of environmental law.
At a national level, the DOE is considering the introduction of European-style Environmental Courts to England and Wales. In certain EU-member states, these bodies have the status of civil courts.
Cambridge University’s Professor Malcolm Grant , who will conduct research on behalf of the DOE, said: “The Planning Inspectorate already undertakes a number of the functions that elsewhere are assigned to environmental courts or tribunals. Amongst other things, we shall be exploring how far the strengths of the present arrangements can be enhanced.”
At EU level, the European Commission is examining ways of improving the implementation of EU environmental law. Recently published figures indicate that at any one time more than 600 such cases are under consideration by the commission.
EGi News 04/11/96
