The European Union faces growing pressure to tighten its wildlife trade laws as weak regulations keep it a major hub for trafficked species. Conservation groups and lawmakers demand stronger rules, including criminalising the import of illegally sourced wildlife and creating an EU-wide tracking database.
Europe’s current system still allows loopholes. Species protected abroad often enter the EU and are sold freely once inside. Traffickers exploit this gap by labelling wild-caught animals as captive-bred, avoiding detection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
“Despite progress, the EU remains one of the world’s largest markets and transit hubs for wildlife,” warned Dutch MEP Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy. “We must take responsibility and act decisively,” he said during a European Parliament debate.
Commission Studies Legal Path to Criminalisation
The European Commission has completed a feasibility study under its Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking. The report, titled Global Environmental Cooperation and Multilateralism, examined how to criminalise trade in illegally sourced animals and plants.
Julia Rusch from the Commission’s environment directorate said the study found the trade in unlisted species “extensive, expanding, and linked to organised crime.” She added, “We estimate that the trade in non-CITES-listed species is three to eleven times larger than the CITES-regulated trade.”
The study concluded that criminalisation is legally viable. Rusch explained that new measures must remain proportionate and enforceable. The Commission outlined four legislative routes, including expanding the current Wildlife Trade Regulations or creating a new framework under Article 83 of the EU Treaty — the preferred long-term solution among experts and NGOs.
Tracking Wildlife Entering the EU
Experts urged the EU to focus on traceability before enforcement. Without complete import data, legal reforms could fail. Dr. Monica Biondo of the Foundation Franz Weber said the EU’s Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) already exists but remains underused.
“For marine ornamental fish, 70 percent of imports appear at species level,” she said. “But for amphibians, officials record almost nothing. That creates huge blind spots.”
She stressed that adapting TRACES to cover all wildlife “is not difficult; the real obstacle is political will.” Reliable data, she said, “builds the foundation for sound decisions.”
Tanya Wyatt from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) added that global records remain incomplete. Of the 160,000 trade entries gathered worldwide, “more than 80 percent involve CITES-listed species,” leaving most unlisted animals untracked. She urged wider reporting through CITES and the UNODC Crime Trends Survey, which fewer than 50 countries currently use.
Legal Reform Needed to Halt Trafficking
Researchers warned that better data alone will not stop criminal networks. Dr. Sandra Altherr of Pro Wildlife called current EU law “a direct threat to biodiversity,” arguing that “enforcement remains weak, prosecutions are rare, and penalties are minimal.”
Her group’s latest report, Stolen Wildlife V, details how reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates protected by foreign laws are exported illegally to Europe and sold openly as pets. “The EU’s free trade rules serve as a laundering system for illegally sourced wildlife,” she said. Altherr urged Brussels to adopt a directive under Article 83, expand CITES listings, and support a UN protocol treating wildlife crime as organised crime.
Captain María del Rocio Bigeriego of Spain’s SEPRONA police confirmed that EU officers face major legal limits. “Trafficking in unlisted species is not a crime on its own,” she said. “We can only prosecute related offences like smuggling or fraud.” She called for a “positive list” of permitted species and a Lacey Act-style law that automatically bans illegal imports.
From Proposal to Political Action
Legal experts said the EU can implement these reforms quickly. Professor Erika Lyman of Lewis & Clark Law School explained, “The most effective model combines two tools — a general ban on illegal imports and a due-diligence rule requiring importers to verify legality.” She stressed that “both measures are essential to stop laundering.”
Alice De Concetto from the European Institute for Animal Law and Policy agreed. “Authorities don’t need to enforce foreign laws,” she said. “They just need to criminalise missing import or export documentation. That ensures wildlife stolen abroad cannot be sold legally in Europe.”
MEP César Luena said the Commission’s study proves that “real solutions exist and are achievable.” He urged Parliament to act. “We must make wildlife trafficking and illegal trade a political priority,” he said. “The time for debate has passed — the time for enforcement has arrived.”
