Argentina Ecocide Bill: “Law on Special Forms of Environmental Crimes”

Summary

In June 2025, Argentina advanced an additional ecocide legislation with a new Senate Bill “”Law on Special Forms of Environmental Crimes””. The new bill defines ecocide as “”irreversible or especially serious damage caused to the environment in violation of minimum environmental protection standards, compromising the rights of present and future generations””. It establishes severe penalties for both individuals and corporations, with imprisonment ranging from 3-10 years, escalating to 5-15 years for irreversible environmental damage, and up to 25 years if deaths result.

Argentina now has three concurrent ecocide bills navigating the legislative process:
1. Senate Bill by Senator Edith Terenzi – presented on June 19, 2025.
2. Chamber of Deputies Bill by Margarita Stolbizer – introduced on April 1, 2025 (partly in response to devastating Patagonian wildfires).
3. Chamber of Deputies Bill by National Deputy Ana Clara Romero – introduced on October, 2024.

Under Argentina’s bicameral system, these bills will undergo committee review in their respective chambers, followed by floor debates and voting. If approved, they must pass to the other chamber for consideration. Should multiple bills advance, the Senate and Chamber of Deputies will need to reconcile any differences between them before final passage – though it’s more likely that one bill will emerge as the primary vehicle rather than all three proceeding simultaneously. Any final legislation would then proceed to the Executive for presidential signature into law.