The animal protection NGO Humane Society International/Europe (HSI) has welcomed the recommendation by the European Parliament on Thursday 2 March that better use be made of EU trade instruments in combatting the trafficking of endangered wildlife.
The NGO believes that the resolution adopted on the basis of an own initiative report is a precious contribution to the action plan passed by the EU to enable it to address this criminal activity more effectively (see EUROPE 11724 and 11675).
“This report is important in helping maintain the political momentum that followed the adoption of an EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking”, said HIS Executive Director, Joanna Swabe. She especially welcomes the emphasis in the report on “the need for the EU to show greater ambition with regard to wildlife trade in its current and future trade negotiations with other countries and regions”.
HSI says that the report strongly reflects its position that trade policy is a vitally important instrument in the fight against wildlife trafficking and that “the inclusion of provisions relating to wildlife protection in sustainable development chapters is not only a good means of securing concrete commitments for species protection, but also to help to build capacity in other countries to achieve the greater protection of wild animals”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)