third stakeholder consultation on the ivory trade in the EU

At the beginning of October, IFAW together with other NGOs and relevant stakeholders met with the European Commission for the third consultation meeting on ivory trade in the European Union (EU). 

21 months after the first meeting, we can say that big steps were taken and that the transparency of the Commission in discussing this topic with stakeholders should also be an example in other important discussions taking place in Brussels.

At the meeting, we made clear that we do not want to harm the European cultural heritage and we are conscious of the need to preserve this rich and diverse mosaic of cultural and creative expressions, our inheritance from previous generations of Europeans and our legacy for those to come.

We are pleased to see that the European Commission is taking important steps to align the EU’s stance on internal ivory trade with the global shift towards closure of domestic ivory markets, and has suggested pragmatic measures to achieve this in a way that simplifies the current regime and closes major loopholes, particularly in relation to antique ivory.

To support the current proposal from the European Commission, IFAW submitted additional recommendations.

Indeed our joint paper makes clear that new rules should be incorporated into Commission Regulation (EC) No 865/2006, and that the need to establish an EU-wide directory of registered experts possibly coming from European museums and also if necessary as stated during the meeting, from the antique sector, to balance interests and conflicts.

Ultimately, this proposal should enable the EU to report to the CITES Standing Committee that it has met its international commitments by largely closing its domestic ivory market, and demonstrating that the EU market does not contribute to elephant poaching. Despite our respect to our European culture, we believe that any exemption for ivory items considered being of particular artistic, cultural and historic value, which must be sufficiently limited and defined. It should be robust enough to ensure that it is narrowly restricted to trade in exceptional items and cannot become a loophole for the commercial trade in bulk items or recently poached or otherwise illegal items.

The ball is again in the Commission’s court. We now hope that all Member States will be positive about this proposal and that Virginijus Sinkevičius, the new Commissioner for Environment, will endorse it, so that we can all move forward in the protection of elephants across the world and the reduction of poaching and wildlife trafficking.

We are confident that the European Commission will understand the need to protect wildlife and biodiversity, and we hope it will take all necessary measures to reach that goal in line with the ambitious Green Deal announced by Ursula Van Der Leyen, the Commission president-elect, so that it does not remain merely ink on paper.