Legal loopholes make EU a prime destination for stolen wildlife trade

Brussels / Munich, 30th September 2025 – The European Union remains a main hub and destination for wildlife that has been ‘stolen’ from the Americas, Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and Oceania.

The new report released today by Pro Wildlife, Humane World For Animals, International Fund for Animal Welfare, FOUR PAWS and Wildlife Conservation Society, makes the case for stricter laws and the closure of legal loopholes. Stolen Wildlife: The EU’s role as destination for wildlife traffickers – an update, shows how the EU is driving the demand for this illegal trade. The exotic pet trade involves the smuggling of species from all over the world, including those that are nationally protected in their country of origin.

EU legislative lacuna fuels wildlife crime

The European Union is one of the world’s biggest importers of wildlife. Only a small proportion of species traded are covered by international and/or EU legislation; yet many wild species being traded in the EU are protected under domestic legislation. These species are often wild caught and exported from their country of origin in violation of national law. The unique giant bronze gecko from the Seychelles and the Macedonian grayling from North Macedonia – Europe’s most threatened butterfly – are just two of the species impacted by this form of wildlife trafficking.

Dr Sandra Altherr, Head of Science at Pro Wildlife, says: “Wildlife smugglers are openly selling illegally acquired animals within the EU in the full knowledge that they can get away with it because of existing loopholes in the EU legislation. Unscrupulous criminals can make big money without taking any significant legal risks. And it’s the global biodiversity that pays the price for this.”

Ilaria Di Silvestre, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Europe at IFAW adds: “The Internet has a key role in this business by directly connecting traders and clients from all over the world, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. The poorly regulated online trade of protected species poses a huge challenge for enforcement authorities. Illegal wildlife trade is dynamic, with illegally sourced species readily sold online and in high demand with European collectors and pet owners. These legislation loopholes make unaware online users complicit in trafficking.”

Closure of legal loopholes is overdue

Dr Joanna Swabe, Senior Director of Public Affairs for Humane World for Animals points out : “Five years ago, the European Commission promised to crack down on illegal wildlife trade in its Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, yet – as our report illustrates - the illegal wildlife trade continues to flourish. It is high time for the Commission to turn these words into action by developing supplementary legislation to criminalise the trade in wildlife that has been taken in violation of the laws of non-EU countries.”

Aubrey Collins, EU Wild Animal Policy Specialist at FOUR PAWS and international wildlife lawyer, refers to the results of a study commissioned by the European Commission on Criminalisation of Illegally Sourced Wildlife Trade: “This study confirms what legal researchers and experts have been saying for years, the criminalization of nationally protected species does not require courts to apply foreign law. Those engaging in illegal trade are getting more clever in which species they target, it is time EU laws catch up to current trends.”

Global theft for the EU market

The new Stolen Wildlife report presents case studies from 17 countries, illustrating the global operations, which exist to satisfy clients in the EU. It reinforces reports from EUROPOL and the latest World Wildlife Crime Report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the growth of this particular business model among wildlife smugglers.

The report comes at a pivotal moment, as UN Member States discuss the need for and feasibility of any new protocols to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), expected to cover wildlife trafficking. A dedicated UNTOC protocol would be the first-ever international agreement focusing on wildlife trafficking and other forms of environmental crime, such as illegal logging, fishing and mining. Given the EU’s central role, Alice Pasqualato, Global Policy Specialist on Environmental Crime at the Wildlife Conservation Society highlights: “The EU has a twofold role to play: closing the loopholes in its own legislation, and seizing a once-in-a-generation chance to support the first global agreement against wildlife trafficking. EU consumers must be able to trust the legal origin of wildlife products entering the single market, and be assured they are not inadvertently financing criminal activity.”

The new Stolen Wildlife report not only provides detailed case studies from the different geographical regions, but also gives an overview of the attempts made by range States to protect their own unique biodiversity. These include recent successes in seizures and arrests in various countries, and formal proposals submitted to the upcoming CITES Conference of the Parties in Uzbekistan (24th November to 5th December 2025) to restrict international trade in endemic species.

The five organisations are calling for the EU to take prompt legislative action to introduce supplementary legislation to close the loopholes in the current EU Wildlife Trade Regulations by prohibiting the import, sale, purchase and possession of wild animals that have been illegally obtained in their country of origin. Moreover, these organisations urge the EU to support the conservation proposals of countries affected by this form of wildlife trafficking at the upcoming CITES conference.

Link to the report: Stolen Wildlife V - The EU’s role as destination for wildlife traffickers – an update

Media contacts:

Dr. Sandra Altherr, Pro Wildlife, +49 174 217 5054, Sandra.altherr@prowildlife.de
Jurgen Noack, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), +32 470 48 49 05, jnoack.contractor@ifaw.org
Yavor Gechev, Humane World for Animals, ygechev@humaneworld.org  
Emilie Rateau, Four Paws,+32 470 03 53 03 , emilie.rateau@four-paws.org 
Mary Dixon, Wildlife Conservation Society, +1 347-840-1242, mdixon@wcs.org

About Pro Wildlife
Pro Wildlife is a non-profit organization that works worldwide to protect wildlife and their habitats. Our goal is to preserve biodiversity and save animals. We advocate for better laws and effective protection measures for wildlife. In various countries, we support aid projects for animals in need, help to preserve habitats and work to ensure co-existence between people and wild animals.

About Humane World for Animals
Together, we tackle the root causes of animal cruelty and suffering to create permanent change. With millions of supporters and work happening in over 50 countries, Humane World for Animals - formerly called Humane Society International - addresses the most deeply entrenched forms of animal cruelty and suffering. As the leading voice in the animal protection space, we work to end the cruellest practices, care for animals in crisis and build a stronger animal protection movement. Driving toward the greatest global impact, we aim to achieve the vision behind our name: a more humane world.

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org

About the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
WCS is a global NGO with over 125 years of experience in protecting wildlife and wild places, operating in more than 60 countries through science-based conservation efforts in collaboration with governments, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, academia, and other partners. With a strong on-the-ground presence, WCS addresses various aspects of wildlife exploitation and trade, including the trafficking of wild fauna and flora, and supports sustainable use strategies that benefit both biodiversity and local communities.

FOUR PAWS
FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.be