(STRASBOURG) - Illegal polluters in Europe face criminal sanctions for serious abuse of the environment, either on purpose or through negligence, under new measures adopted Wednesday at the European Parliament.

The rules will force European Union countries to sanction pollution and degradation of a protected site, misuse of nuclear or hazardous radioactive materials and the unlawful treatment of waste.

Trading in endangered plants or animals must also be punished bloc-wide.

Attempts to set fines and jail terms did not succeed -- nations will enforce their own penalties -- but the document does oblige them to impose "effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal sanctions".

"For the gravest violations, only the sharp sword of criminal law can have any real dissuasive effect," said European Commission vice-president Jacques Barrot, as the text was debated by the parliamentarians.

The move was welcomed by Green groups, in part because it will also oblige countries to lay out exactly how they plan to apply the new laws.

"Thanks to this ... , member states will no longer be able to systematically lift penalties for environmental crimes, and that represents progress of the highest importance," said Monica Frassoni, Greens leader in the assembly.

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