According to the Chamber, increasing the size of penalty units does not make individuals more law-abiding

With the amendments to the Penal Code, it is planned to change the size of the penalty unit, doubling it from four euros to eight euros. According to the Chamber, increasing the penalty unit will not prevent violations and misdemeanors. Instead, the Chamber believes that a more thorough analysis of penal policy is needed to find a solution that genuinely encourages people to be more law-abiding.

The Change Does Not Solve the Real Problem
The planned amendments propose increasing the penalty unit specified in the Penal Code from four euros to eight euros. The aim of the changes is to influence individuals to behave more law-abidingly and to avoid committing misdemeanors.

However, the Chamber believes that merely increasing the penalty unit from four euros to eight euros will not prevent the commission of misdemeanors. For example, for individuals with higher incomes, the proposed higher fines are still negligible compared to their income. To effectively reduce the commission of violations and misdemeanors, a broader evaluation and analysis of penal policy is necessary. This would help in planning other activities and solutions that could more significantly influence individuals' behavior to be more law-abiding. For instance, considering changes in people's behavior, a much more effective measure than increasing fines could be the wider public disclosure of information about the misdemeanor or the imposition of some activity restrictions that make the daily activities of the offender more inconvenient.

The planned changes will take effect on January 1, 2025.