Prevention of criminal offenses against the environment

Abstract

The scientific article provides a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical and applied foundations for preventing criminal offenses against the environment under contemporary security challenges caused by transformational processes and the military aggression against Ukraine. The methodological basis of the research is grounded in the provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine, according to which environmental safety and the preservation of ecological balance are duties of the state, while the right of every person to an environment that is safe for life and health is constitutionally guaranteed. It is emphasized that environmental safety constitutes an integral component of national security and requires proper criminological support.

The strategic guidelines of criminological policy in the field of environmental protection are analyzed, and it is established that modern globalization processes and profound socio-economic transformations necessitate a comprehensive response to environmental threats. It is substantiated that a long period of irrational natural resource use and insufficient integration of sustainable development principles contributed to the formation of criminogenic preconditions in the environmental protection sphere. It is determined that under martial law environmental crime acquires new forms, demonstrating tendencies toward greater organization, economic motivation, and transnationalization, integrating into criminal syndicates, while the reduced detection of criminal offenses is conditioned by the objective shift in priorities of criminal justice institutions.

Particular emphasis is placed on a multi-level model for preventing criminal offenses against the environment, which should include a set of criminological measures at the general social, special criminological, and individual preventive levels. Attention is drawn to the need to improve criminal legislation, strengthen the analytical and prognostic components of law enforcement activities, develop interagency and international cooperation, and integrate environmental security into the system of strategic planning.