November 2023 - THE NETHERLANDS

In November 2023, Member of Parliament Lammert van Raan submitted a legislative proposal to criminalise ecocide in Dutch law. The proposed Ecocide Criminalisation Act defines ecocide in line with the 2021 definition developed by the Independent Expert Panel convened by the Stop Ecocide Foundation.

The bill has received detailed scrutiny from several state institutions, including the Council of State, the Board of Attorneys General, and the Council for the Judiciary. While broadly affirming the legitimacy of criminalising ecocide, the reviews raise questions around legal clarity, evidentiary thresholds and interaction with administrative permitting.

Read the bill here.