The Model Penal Code serves as a set of guidelines to help define criminal acts and codify respective laws.
It was created and published by the American Legal Institute in 1962.
The American Model Penal Code defines the purpose of criminal law as: to prevent any conduct that cause or may cause harm to people or society, to enact public order, to define what crimes are criminal, to warn the public what is a crime, and to make the clear distinction between a minor and a serious offense.
EU criminal law helps to prevent and sanction serious offences against EU law in important policy areas, such as the protection of the environment or illegal employment.