What is wildlife trade and crime?

Wildlife trade consists in the sale and/or exchange of wild animals and plants - either live or dead specimens, parts or derivatives, or transformed products. It is estimated that the legal international trade in wildlife is worth about USD 220 billion annually. Wildlife trade occurs at all levels, from local to global. At the international level, it is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), while the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations control trade at the European level.

Wildlife trade is not as uncommon as one could think; for example, it covers reptile skins used in leatherwork, timber transformed into furniture, plants used in food supplements or cosmetics, and much more. When trade is properly controlled and sustainable, it can provide critical benefits to conservation and people; the IPBES estimates that billions of people across the world rely on and benefit from the use of around 50,000 wild species.

However, when wildlife trade is conducted unsustainably or illegally, it can contribute to species overexploitation, which is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss today. Wildlife crimes, which encompass any breach of national, regional, or international legislations that protect wildlife species, are direct contributors to species overexploitation. These crimes include illegal wildlife trade, but also the illegal killing, poisoning, or poaching of wildlife, as well as the unauthorised alteration or destruction of habitats. For example, in Europe this could be the illegal import of wild species as exotic pets or ornamental plants, the poaching of sturgeons for their caviar, or the poisoning of birds of prey and large carnivores. In addition to harming the environment, wildlife crimes also negatively affect security, governance, the economy, and ultimately human lives.

What is the role of the EU?

Europe is the second main exporting and importing region for international trade in CITES-listed species, accounting for 34% of all export transactions and 38% of all import transactions. Therefore, the EU plays a critical role in legal wildlife trade. However, the EU is also a key source, transit and destination region for illegal wildlife trade. In 2022 alone, the EU Member States recorded about 3,600 seizures corresponding to hundreds of thousands of specimens seized. Still, most wildlife crimes in Europe, including illegal trade, remain undetected or go unpunished.

EU laws, such as the Wildlife Trade Regulations or the Environmental Crime Directive aim to ensure that wildlife trade is legal and sustainable, while wildlife crimes are properly investigated, prosecuted and adjudicated.

In addition, the EU’s voice is influential in international meetings where it can impact global decisions on wildlife. In particular, it is a major player at CITES meetings where it coordinates as one block, commanding 27 votes out of 183 Parties, sponsoring many proposals, and occupying two of the 16 voting seats on the CITES Standing Committee.

Finally, the EU funds a number of projects within and outside of Europe which support governmental and non-governmental organisations working on wildlife conservation.

What is happening?

On 20 May 2024, the revised Environmental Crime Directive entered into force. This legislation sets up common definitions, sanctions and measures to tackle environmental crimes, including wildlife crimes, across the EU. Member States have until May 2026 to transpose the Directive into their respective national laws.
The EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking is approaching its mid-term review, which will be a great opportunity to assess the EU and its Member States progress in fighting illegal wildlife trade, since the plan’s publication in November 2022.
With regards to CITES, while Parties continue to progress on key issues identified at the previous meetings (CoP19, Standing Committee, Plants and Animals Committees), discussions are also starting to prepare for CoP20 (end of 2025). The EU will adopt its positions for the meeting between Summer and Fall 2025.

What is WWF doing?

WWF advocates at European and national levels, via the support of its network of national offices, to make sure that:

Member States effectively transpose and implement the new Environmental Crime Directive.
The EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking leads to concrete actions within the EU and abroad to support the fight against illegal wildlife trade.
In addition, WWF engages with the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Member States on a regular basis on wildlife conservation issues to make sure that their positions benefit biodiversity and people, in particular in the context of CITES.

Position papers

A new EU Environmental Crime Directive

pdf 1.24 MB

Joint TRAFFIC & WWF recommendations for a strong EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking

pdf 359 KB