I principî, i valori culturali e le tecniche normative nel diritto ambientale dell’Unione europea

Cultural heritage is woven into both the natural and human environment. And similar to environmental destruction, cultural destruction most often affects marginalized persons who have limited ability to prevent looting and damage. The issue of the role of culture in a sustainable built environment is becoming more important due to the growing impact of the built environment in achieving society’s sustainable development. Society faces environmental challenges, including climate change and urban population growth and responding to these interconnected challenges is at the centre of society’s concerns for its future. Culture is a key element in the concept of sustainable development as it frames people’s relationships and attitudes towards the built and the natural environment. Directive 2008/99/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on the protection of the environment through criminal law aims at obliging Member States to impose criminal penalties on certain behaviour which is seriously detrimental to the environment. This minimum threshold for harmonisation will allow EU environmental legislation to be better applied, in line with the objective for the protection of the environment laid down in European Treaties.