Revised EU action plan against wildlife trafficking

KEY POINTS

Context and significance

The illegal wildlife trade is a significant global issue affecting all countries, with a wide variety of species being trafficked. This trade poses a severe threat to biodiversity, often leading to the extinction of species and disrupting ecosystems, which can also have detrimental effects on local communities and global health by increasing the risk of zoonotic diseases. Wildlife trafficking is economically lucrative, fosters corruption, weakens the rule of law and is linked to organised crime and terrorism.

The EU’s role

The EU plays a critical role as a hub for global wildlife trafficking. With a reported illegal trade value of at least €4.7 million in the EU in 2019, the EU is well placed to lead global efforts against this crime. The EU has implemented stringent regulations exceeding the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to protect endangered species.

Achievements and challenges

Since 2016, wildlife trafficking has become a priority for EU policymakers and law enforcement agencies, leading to increased enforcement measures, cross-border investigations and prosecutions. The EU has also taken action in multilateral forums and is engaging in international cooperation. Despite these efforts, challenges remain, including evolving trade routes, increased online trafficking and a lack of specialised resources for prosecution and enforcement.

Revised action plan

The revised action plan, which extends until 2027, addresses these challenges by focusing on the following four main priorities.

1. Preventing wildlife trafficking and addressing root causes. This involves tackling the socioeconomic factors driving wildlife trafficking, raising awareness and promoting legal and sustainable trade in wildlife.
2. Strengthening legal and policy frameworks. The plan seeks to reinforce existing regulations, explore new legislative initiatives and ensure that penalties for wildlife trafficking are proportionate to the crime.
3. Enforcing regulations and policies. Enhanced cooperation among law enforcement agencies within the EU and with non-EU countries is a key focus. The plan also aims to harness the Digital Services Act (see summary) to combat online wildlife trafficking, which has grown significantly.
4. Strengthening global partnerships. Recognising the global nature of wildlife trafficking, the EU plans to bolster international cooperation through bilateral, regional and multilateral initiatives.

Strategic actions

To achieve these priorities, the action plan outlines several objectives and actions, including:

• enhancing multi-agency cooperation to effectively prevent, detect, prosecute and sanction wildlife crime;
• treating wildlife trafficking as a serious crime, with a focus on building capacity and specialisation across the enforcement chain;
• leveraging the Digital Services Act to address online wildlife trafficking, increasing the capabilities of law enforcement and customs authorities;
• strengthening global partnerships to ensure coherence between EU measures and global efforts, with a focus on supporting non-EU countries in combating wildlife trafficking;
• promoting transparency and collaboration with non-governmental organisations, international organisations and the private sector.

Resource allocation and monitoring

The success of the action plan depends on adequate financial and human resources. The EU emphasises the importance of integrating wildlife trade issues into relevant EU funding programmes, such as the Internal Security Fund, the LIFE programme, and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe.

To monitor progress, the EU will establish a system to track action plan implementation, involving a reporting mechanism for EU Member States and stakeholders. This system will include specific indicators to measure the plan’s impact on reducing wildlife trafficking.