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European Parliament calls for stricter rules against wildlife trafficking

Xinhua, November 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the European Parliament (EP) called for a full and immediate ban on ivory and rhinoceros horn trade as well as common sanctions against wildlife trafficking.

According a statement released after the vote, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called for updated joint actions at the level of the European Union (EU).

"Wildlife trafficking is the fourth biggest organized criminal activity on the planet. It is high time we got really serious about it," said rapporteur Catherine Bearder, a British MEP.

"The penalties against wildlife trafficking must be very severe to reflect the seriousness of this crime and must be the same across the EU," she added.

MEPs called for a full and immediate ban at EU level on trade, export or re-export of ivory and rhinoceros horns.

They also urged EU member states to set appropriate levels of penalties for wildlife crime offences, and called on the European Commission to work towards establishing common rules for defining criminal offences and sanctions relating to wildlife trafficking.

The EU should also review existing legislation to ban any making available and placing on the market, transport, acquisition and possession of wildlife that has been illegally harvested or traded in third countries, the resolution said.

Since trophy hunting has contributed to large-scale declines in certain species, MEPs urged the EU to establish a precautionary approach to dealing with imports of hunting trophies from species protected under the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations.

Noting that wildlife crime is linked to other forms of organized crime, such as money laundering and the financing of militias and terrorist groups, MEPs urged EU member states to use all relevant instruments, including cooperation with the financial sector, to reveal these links.

Meanwhile, MEPs also called on EU leaders to engage with the operators of social media platforms, search engines and e-commerce platforms and step up checks to stop illegal internet trade in wildlife.

The resolution was passed by 567 votes to five, with 39 abstentions.

Wildlife trafficking is worth an estimated 20 billion euros (21.11 billion U.S. dollars) annually. Even worse, it has grown in recent years, becoming one of the biggest and most profitable forms of organized cross-border crime. Enditem