Project description and aims
The implementation of the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking requires broad support, not just from the EU institutions, but also the EU agencies – Europol and Eurojust –, the Member States and their relevant agencies, the EU delegations, Member States Embassies in third countries.
This project aims to support the effective implementation of the EU Action Plan by identifying good practices, fostering cross-border cooperation, and facilitating the development of practical tools and strategies for enforcement authorities across the EU and IMPEL Members.
First Step 2020-2023
Between 2020 and 2023, the project concentrated on organizing joint inspections and thematic workshops across multiple EU Member States, fostering the exchange of good practices and solutions to common implementation challenges. It also focused on analyzing intelligence strategies to combat organized wildlife crime and producing detailed reports with case studies, inspection findings, enforcement gaps, and practical guidance.
These efforts culminated in the project outputs given below.
Next Steps and Planned Activities
Building on the results from the first phase, the next phase of the project (2025–2027) aims to update, refine, and widely disseminate the existing reference guide, with a strong focus on implementation in practice. Planned activities include:
- Hosting additional workshops and joint inspections to test and improve the guide;
- Enhancing cross-border collaboration between enforcement authorities, including police, prosecutors, and judges;
- Promoting the harmonization of practices and interpretation of EU tools and legislation;
- Identifying and addressing implementation gaps, especially regarding non-CITES listed species;
- Supporting efforts to tackle online wildlife trafficking and the growing exotic pet trade;
- Increasing public awareness of the evaluation results and the broader impact of the illegal wildlife trade;
- Collaborating with international actors such as UNODC, ICCWC, ENPE, EUFJE, and EnviCrimeNet to align global and regional efforts;
- Enhancing training, capacity-building, and specialization across the enforcement chain.
Ultimately, the project helps to strengthen Europe’s role in the global fight against wildlife trafficking and ensures more effective, unified action by combining practical tools, legal insights, and tested field strategies.
Project Outputs
A Guidance on EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking/2025
This guidance focuses on implementing the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking by analyzing effective practices across member states to create a helpful guide for enforcement authorities. The guidance details EU wildlife trade regulations, the role of intelligence analysis in tackling organized crime including wildlife trafficking, and provides case studies illustrating illegal activities and enforcement responses. It emphasizes the complexity of the illegal wildlife trade within the EU's diverse market and the importance of data collection, international cooperation, and recognizing limitations in enforcement efforts. The document also outlines available tools and provides inspection guidance to assist officers in identifying and handling wildlife trafficking cases effectively.
A Report on Good Practices in the Implementation of the EU Action Plan Against Wildlife Trafficking/ 2025
This report summarizes the results of the IMPEL project "Good practices in the implementation of the EU Action Plan Against Wildlife Trafficking" from 2022 to 2024, which involved joint inspections and workshops in several EU Member States. The project identified positive outcomes such as the sharing of good practices and cooperation, but also highlighted significant challenges in the uniform application and enforcement of EU Wildlife Trade Regulations, including knowledge gaps, species identification difficulties, and inconsistent national legislation. Based on these findings, the report proposes several solutions, such as expanding the scope of EUWTR to include possession of certain species and incorporating existing guidance into the legal framework.
Wildlife Trafficking/ 2021
This report analyzes good practices for implementing EU tools against wildlife trafficking. It emphasizes intelligence gathering, analysis, and dissemination to improve enforcement of wildlife trade regulations and combat organized crime.
Workshop Wildlife Trafficking/ 2020
This report summarizes presentations from a workshop on wildlife trafficking. Member States shared how their national laws implement trade in captive-bred species, focusing on the legal framework and challenges in regulating wildlife trade.