The European Union and wildlife trafficking
Recommendations (4/4)
Better use of existing tools against organised wildlife crime
The EU should pay more attention to organised wildlife crime and its links to money laundering and consider whether it should be included in its general activities against organised crime. Some answers suggested that organised wildlife crime be considered as a "serious crime" in the understanding of UNTOC; this would mean that the sanction should be imprisonment of not less than four years. Directive 2008/99/EC on environmental crime might then have to be amended.
In the light of different reactions to its initiatives, the Commission services prepared, in July 2015, a Roadmap for an EU action plan against wildlife trafficking. This roadmap summarised all existing data and experience on wildlife trafficking in the EU. It suggested three options for action:
Option 1 would strengthen the enforcement of wildlife trade rules at the EU and global level, mainly by revising the 2007 Commission Recommendation. This revision would target organised wildlife crime and set up a monitoring mechanism for the actions contained in the Recommendation.
Option 2 would consist of a Communication to other EU institutions, without new legislative proposals. The Communication would not be limited to enforcement questions, but would suggest:
- the prevention of wildlife trafficking through support for wildlife management and anti-poaching activities, raising awareness, encourage sustainable sourcing of wildlife products;
- strengthening enforcement and fighting organised wildlife crime more effectively by improving international cooperation, set up EU strategic enforcement priorities, raise awareness and support training throughout the entire enforcement chain and the judiciary;
- building a global partnership against wildlife trafficking by improving coordination with third countries, the use of diplomatic tools and inclusion of commitments in trade agreements, by increasing EU development support and better coordination.
The action plan would provide for timelines, benchmarks and monitoring by the Commission.
Option 3 would consist of the measures of Option 2, plus new legislative proposals concerning sanctions and to define organised wildlife crime as a serious crime with a sanction of at least four years imprisonment.
The roadmap clearly indicated its preference for Option 2, all the more as it indicated that the Commission would, in the next few years, reassess the EU approach to environmental crime in general - including trade in waste, in dangerous chemicals, in ozone-depleting substances, illegal logging and illegal fishing etc.