RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Environmental Crime and Punishment: Empirical Evidence from the German Penal Code
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 707
OP 726
DO 10.3368/le.86.4.707
VO 86
IS 4
A1 Almer, Christian
A1 Goeschl, Timo
YR 2010
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/86/4/707.abstract
AB U.S. and E.U. environmental policy employ criminal sanctions to enforce compliance. Recent moves toward revising their use are based on little empirical evidence as to their effectiveness. This paper exploits a unique dataset to study the deterrent effect of criminal enforcement. The dynamic panel data analysis leads to three findings. First, criminal sanctions do provide the intended deterrent effects. Second, standing trial provides one of the most significant deterrents, rather than the probability of conviction or the magnitude of fines. Third, public preferences regarding environmental quality and political economy variables affect reported environmental crime. (JEL K11, Q53)