To curb wildlife trafficking, the European Commission presented, on Thursday 10 November, a tougher EU action plan to tackle more decisively and effectively a lucrative criminal activity that is decimating global biodiversity.
Announced in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, this action plan will guide the EU until 2027 (see EUROPE 12805/16). It revises the one from 2016, which has led to an increase in seizures and cross-border judicial cooperation, but not to a commensurate increase in prosecutions and sanctions (see EUROPE 11577/12).
The revised action plan encourages EU Member States and third countries to treat wildlife trafficking as a serious crime and to build capacity and specialisation throughout the enforcement chain so that proportionate and dissuasive sanctions become the norm.
It sets four priorities: 1) preventing wildlife trafficking and addressing its root causes; 2) strengthening the legal and policy framework against wildlife trafficking; 3) enforcing regulations and policies; 4) strengthening the global partnership of source, consumer and transit countries against wildlife trafficking.
Measures to be implemented include: - implementing demand-reduction actions targeting in particular behavioural change by consumers; - monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the new EU rules on ivory trade; - intensifying efforts to reintroduce seized live animals into the wild; - strengthening measures to combat wildlife crime; - examining the risks of the spread of zoonoses related to trade in wildlife and wildlife products to take into account the ‘One Health’ approach (human, animal and environmental).
The scheme is complemented by a robust monitoring mechanism. The Commission also stresses the importance of adequate financial and human resources and calls for wildlife trade to be fully integrated into the relevant EU funds on security and organised crime, environment and international cooperation/partnerships.
“We want to stop illegal wildlife trade, prevent it and address its root causes by enforcing the rules, strengthening our legal framework and partnerships”, commented the EU Commissioner for the Environment, Virginijus Sinkevičius.
This action plan is designed to demonstrate the EU’s ambition for this cause ahead of the 19th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) (Panama, 14-25 November) (see EUROPE 13036/8) and the COP15 on Biodiversity (Montreal,7-19 December) (see EUROPE 13049/2).
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) immediately welcomed the revised action plan as “considerable progress”, in line with its calls for action against cybercrime.
The action plan: https://aeur.eu/f/405 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)