The European Parliament’s environment committee, meeting on Thursday 13 October, welcomed the European Union action plan to curb illegal wildlife trafficking but wants it to be tougher.
The MEPs on the committee call for nothing less than a full and immediate ban on the ivory and rhinoceros horn trade, and heavy penalties as a deterrent.
This stance was formalised with the unanimous adoption (four abstentions) of the report by Catherine Bearder (ALDE, UK), only a few days after the international meeting of the parties to the CITES Convention (see EUROPE 11639).
Within the EU, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom have already banned the export of raw ivory. What MEPs want is a complete ban on trade, export or re-export of ivory and rhinoceros horns throughout the EU.
They urge member states to set appropriate levels of penalties for wildlife crime offences, and call on the European Commission to work towards establishing common rules for defining criminal offences and sanctions relating to wildlife trafficking.
Wildlife crime may be linked to other forms of organised crime, such as money laundering and the financing of militias and terrorist groups. MEPs urge EU member states, therefore, to use all relevant instruments, including cooperation with the financial sector, to reveal these links.
They also call for control measures to be strengthened and policies developed to address potentially illegal activity on the internet.
In June of this year, the Council of the EU backed the action plan brought forward by the Commission (see EUROPE 11577). Parliament will deliver its position in plenary session on 23 November. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)