European Union law determines the development of the internal law of the Member States directly or indirectly in almost every area of their activity. One of the important functions of the state is to protect the environment. The establishment and implementation of the principle of sustainable development, as well as intensifi ed by the European Union for last several years environmental policy, has forced changes aimed at improving the fight against crimes against the environment. The changes introduced by the 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 had an impact on crime policy in Poland. This article was devoted to discussion of changes in the Polish Criminal Code that have taken place under the infl uence of this directive. At the same time article contains the explanation of the directive, as an act constituted by the EU institutions and its role in the creation of domestic law in the Member States.