环境民事公益诉讼中惩罚性赔偿的适用与完善

Application and refinement of punitive damages in environmental civil public interest litigation

《民法典》第1232条把惩罚性赔偿制度引入环境污染、生态破坏侵权领域。对于环境民事公益诉讼能否适用惩罚性赔偿,相关司法解释已经予以明确规定,但并不完善。在环境民事公益诉讼中,惩罚性赔偿的司法适用有积极方面,体现在方式灵活、裁判效果显著,但仍存在适用依据不明确、数额的认定标准不一,以及责任的竞合处理不当等问题。短期阶段内可通过指导性案例明确惩罚性赔偿的适用依据,参照产品侵权中的数额认定标准,同时妥当处理责任的竞合。

Article 1232 of the Civil Code extends the application of the punitive damages system to environmental pollution and ecological damage torts.Although judicial interpretations have provided clear guidance on the applicability of punitive damages in environmental civil public interest litigation,there are still aspects that require improvement.The judicial application of punitive damages in such litigation has shown positive effects,characterized by flexible methods and significant adjudicative impact.However,issues remain,including ambiguity in the application criteria,inconsistent standards for determining the amount of damages,and improper handling of liability concurrency.In the short term,the application of punitive damages can be further clarified through guiding cases,and the determination of damages can draw upon standards set in product liability cases,while ensuring the proper resolution of liability concurrency issues.