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With environmental crime continuing to grow both worldwide and within the European Union, the revision of Directive 2008/99/EC on the protection of the environment through criminal law had become an urgent necessity. Adopted on April 11, 2024, the amended legislation represents a major step forward in combating this looming threat and helps consolidate efforts against environmental damage. In addition to significantly transforming EU law, this text is also likely to bring about radical changes within national legal systems. In particular, the extension of the definition of unlawful conduct and the introduction of qualified criminal offenses represent two major innovations that, once transposed, could lead to a substantial reform of French environmental criminal law.