EU lawmakers call on UN to crack down on animal trafficking by 2030

2025-10-24 17:29:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

More data, better traceability schemes and strengthened law enforcement are some of the measures supported by lawmakers to combat wildlife trafficking ahead of the UN convention in Uzbekistan.

European lawmakers will argue for wildlife trafficking to be recognized as organized crime by 2030 at an upcoming United Nations meeting in Uzbekistan to discuss protecting wildlife from overexploitation due to international trade.

Elephants, rhinoceroses, wild birds and amphibians are among the creatures mentioned in the mandate approved by lawmakers on Wednesday, which included reservations about China's lack of transparency regarding its pangolin reserves.

Lawmakers called for greater protection for shark and ray species and proposed a legally binding instrument to ban ivory trafficking in the EU.

"We have seen a growing demand for protected and banned species, especially through online trade. We have seen hidden poaching of these listed species. We need the illegal trade to be sustainable," said legislator Esther Herranz-Garcia (Spain/EPP) on Wednesday during the plenary debate in the European Parliament.

The goal is to ensure that the only trade in wildlife is legal and sustainable, lawmakers said, consistent with the long-term conservation of species and helping to halt biodiversity loss.

European lawmakers will call on all countries to speed up implementation of the UN convention, noting that current provisions to ban and restrict wildlife trafficking are "insufficient".

"We need greater digitalization and better traceability that ensures control of the trade of these species. Along with border control, as well as enforcement measures in case of illegal activity," added Herranz-Garcia.

European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, said that the EU's participation in the UN meeting on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora will be an opportunity to "strengthen the fight against wildlife trafficking" and "reinforce multilateral cooperation".

"It will be a defining moment for global efforts to ensure that certain trade flows do not threaten the survival of endangered wildlife species," Roswall said.

Species protection must come before profit

Brussels has been taking action to combat wildlife trafficking since 1983, when it began regulating the trade at EU level. But it was only in 2016 that the bloc adopted its first plan to combat the illegal wildlife trade.

The 27-member bloc also supports online law enforcement networks that enable information sharing between customs, police and environmental authorities.

All member states are also encouraged to implement UN regulations to ensure that trade in endangered species is strictly controlled, despite lawmakers deeming these efforts insufficient.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) welcomed the Parliament's resolution and called on the European Commission and EU countries to take into account the legislators' position in the EU's common negotiating position in Samarkand.

The EU remains a central hub and destination for wildlife that is 'stolen' from the Americas, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and Oceania, the IFAW report finds, suggesting the bloc's growing responsibility in curbing illegal hunting.

“This resolution shows that the European Parliament wants the EU to take real responsibility for its role in the global wildlife trade,” said Ilaria Di Silvestre, IFAW’s Europe policy and advocacy director. “It is a clear message that species protection must come before profit.”

The UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan from November 24 to December 5./ CNA