Brussels, 10/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - Some 170 experts from the EU, third countries, NGOs and international organisations met in Brussels on Thursday 10 April to consider a European approach to tackling the trafficking of wildlife species threatened with extinction. They recognised both the importance and urgency of stepping up the fight against this extremely lucrative activity for organised crime. They were invited to attend an international conference organised by the European Commission on 10-11 April, which coincides with the public consultation launched on 7 February by the Commission in to gather a maximum of different points of view on the most effective ways of stepping up the fight at an EU level (see EUROPE 11014).
The main problems identified were a lack of resources, insufficient co-operation between the agencies responsible for applying the law, sanctions that were too weak in some member states to deter offenders, and the lack of reliable data that would enable the scale of the problem to be assessed. They also underlined the need to strengthen cooperation between member states in an effort to more effectively tackle cross-border trafficking and track the illegal revenues generated by this equally illegal trade.
Opening of the conference, Janez Potocnik, Commissioner for the Environment, said: “Wildlife trafficking threatens biodiversity, it damages the potential for human development and it seriously undermines peace, security and good governance… As clearly confirmed by the input we received from the public consultation, law enforcement is a weak point that needs to be addressed…” He also said that efforts had to be stepped up to combat this environmental crime.
According to the commissioner, the task is to translate commitments made in high-level conferences in Paris, Paris, Gaborone (Botswana) and recently in London “into concrete actions and results”. He stated that an EU action plan, as requested by the European Parliament which was represented at the conference by Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (ALDE, Netherlands), “seems for most stakeholders the best way forward to give strategic guidance to action and to keep the issue high on the political agenda”.
Despite the efforts of the European Union to tackle the trade in wildlife species threatened with extinction, a massive increase in the poaching and trade in these species at world level is occurring and the EU is one of the main markets and transit points for products from this trafficking. The results of the consultation and recommendations from experts will guide the Commission in the re-examination of EU policies and measures. (AN)