The Committee on International Trade adopted the
own-initiative report by Emma McCLARKIN (ECR, UK) on EU Common
Commercial Policy in the context of wildlife sustainability
imperatives.
The world is facing an unprecedented surge in wildlife
trafficking. According to estimates, the illegal trade in wild
flora and fauna is the fourth most profitable area of criminal
activity, with an estimated turnover of as much as EUR 20
billion.
Members welcomed the EU action plan against wildlife
trafficking and stated that the EU must lead efforts in tackling
not only supply-side issues, including development issues on the
ground in third countries, but also demand for illegal products in
domestic markets, including online platforms.
The report made the following
recommendations:
- on trade policy, the Union should adopt an approach
that not only prioritises the issue of combating the illegal
wildlife trade but includes in all future agreements
provisions aimed at: (i) its reduction and ultimate elimination;
along with (ii) robust and effective complementary measures, with
particular regard to training, prevention and the application of
sanctions in the field of forest management, health and
customs;
- EU trade policy should not prevent the
EU or its trading partners from taking decisions that are necessary
for the protection of wildlife and natural resources, provided that
such measures continue to be in pursuit of legitimate public policy
objectives and do not represent arbitrary or unjustifiable
discrimination;
- given that there is no “one size fits all”
solution to global wildlife sustainability and combating the
illegal trade, it is necessary to ensure full flexibility and to
share information, data and best practice, in order to
facilitate dialogue with a view to enhanced cooperation, bearing in
mind the cross-border nature of this type of
infringement;
- Member States should consider policy solutions that
would allow for the elimination of all remaining legal
loopholes that could facilitate the “laundering” of
illegally sourced wildlife and wildlife products; exhaustive
monitoring should be carried out in this connection;
- the EU should consider a possible ban at European
level of trade, export or re-export within and outside the EU of
elephant ivory, in a manner compliant with WTO
law;
- sufficient resources should be committed for policies and measures designed
to meet the EU’s objectives in terms of combating the illegal
wildlife trade, which includes resources for third countries in
terms of capacity-building;
- the Commission and the Member States should continue
to work with all actors concerned to ensure an integrated
approach that acts to curtail demand and raise awareness in demand
markets;
- more should be done to ensure that the illegal
criminal networks and syndicates active in illegal wildlife trade
are targeted for disruption, elimination and prosecution, and that
Member States should ensure that the punishments and sentences
reserved for wildlife crime are both proportionate and dissuasive
and in line with commitments, as defined in the UN Convention
against Transnational Organised Crime;
- the EU should explore, within the scope of the WTO
framework, how global trade and environmental regimes can better
support each other;
- lastly, further opportunities for cooperation between
the WTO and CITES should be explored, in particular in terms of
offering technical assistance and capacity building on trade and
environment matters to officials from developing
countries.