Poland has just started adopting an EU directive dealing with ecological crime.

The set of rules governs the nation's ecosystems and brings a series of new sanctions and stiffer penalties for offenders. Among them, jail time for ecological crimes.

Rzeczpospolita reports a violation of ecological protection orders, such as the destruction of protected plants, animals and fungi could be worth as much as five years in prison. This is an entirely new sanction for Poland.

This rule extends to industry as well. People running companies found to poison the environment with waste or emissions could face up to eight years in prison. This sentence could jump to 12 years, if the ecological crime can be linked to the death of at least one human being.

This affects everyone who produces waste, reports Rzeczpospolita.

Particularly hard hit will be those people whose waste production endangers the country's water, earth or air. Also hit will be illegal waste transporters and dumpers.

The Ministry of Environment is currently at work finalizing the document, which will then enter a consultation phase.

Source: Rzeczpospolita