EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking. On 28th December 2021, WCS EU submitted a response to the stakeholder consultation on the evaluation and revision of the EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking, calling on the EU and its Member States to step up efforts to tackle wildlife trafficking, one of the most lucrative criminal activities and one of the most immediate threats to biodiversity and the rule of law in many parts of the world. To access the full comments click here.
Forest and Ecosystem Risk Commodities. On 8th June 2021, WCS EU and other NGOs sent a letter to EU Commissioners requesting not to delay any further the adoption of the legislative proposals on minimising the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the EU market and sustainable corporate governance. To access the letter click here.
Global Europe Instrument. On 31st May 2021, WCS EU submitted a response to the public consultation concerning the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Delegated regulation, calling for higher ambition on biodiversity, environment, and climate . To access the response click here.
Forest and Ecosystem Risk Commodities. On 6th May 2021, WCS EU and other NGOs developed joint recommendations outlining what a legislative proposal to minimise the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the European Union (EU) market should include. To access the briefing click here.
Global Europe Instrument. On 6th May 2021, WCS EU and other NGOs sent a letter to EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, calling for the prioritisation of climate and biodiversity under the new Global Challenges thematic programme and highlitging the urgent need to open a transparent multi-stakeholder consultation. To access the letter click here.
Environmental Crime Directive. On 3rd May 2021, WCS EU submitted a response to the stakeholder consultation on Environmental crime – improving EU rules on environmental protection through criminal law, calling on the EU and its Member States to treat wildlife and forest crimes as serious criminal offences. To access the full comments click here.
EMPACT Policy Cycle. On 15th April 2021, WCS EU co-signed a letter from Members of the EU Parliament (MEPs) calling on the EU Commission and EU Council to include all forms of environmental crimes, including wildlife crime, in the list of priorities for the upcoming European multidisciplinary platform against criminal threats (EMPACT) Policy Cycle 2022-2025. To access the letter click here.
EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. On 2nd April 2021, WCS EU submitted a response to the public consultation on the evaluation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. To access the full response click here.
The Forest First approach. On 26th February 2021, and following a webinar organised in December 2020, WCS published a report titled 'The Forest First approach: A new framing that addresses supply chain risk and reduces deforestation at the forest and farm frontier', which provides a comprehensive overview of WCS’s Forest First Approach. WCS also developed a brochure alongside the report which presents some case studies from WCS’s work in the field. More information on the WCS Forest First approach is available here.
EU ivory trade. On 25th February 2021, WCS EU submitted a response to the public consultation on ‘Wildlife trade – alignment of EU rules with recent decisions taken under the CITES convention and changes to EU ivory trade rules’. WCS EU and other NGOs also developed a joint statement and sent a joint letter to Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans calling for the closure of the EU ivory market.
One Health and Biodiversity. On 14th January 2021, the EU Parliament's ENVI Committee organised a public hearing on “Facing the sixth mass extinction and increasing risk of pandemics: what role for the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030”, which included an intervention by Dr. Chris Walzer, Executive Director, WCS Health Program (see the full programme here and the video recording here). In the context of this event, WCS EU developed a document with several recommendations on how the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 can help reduce the risk of pandemics of zoonotic origin. To access the document click here.
One Planet Summit. On 11th January 2021, a One Planet Summit on Biodiversity was held in Paris, under the leadership of President Macron, gathering political leaders and CEOs, pledging to reverse the destruction of nature (see the video recording here). This high-level event included an intervention by Cristián Samper, WCS President and CEO. To access the full statement click here.