Europol and the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) have signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague to share technical expertise, best practices and raise awareness of environmental crimes, including trafficking in endangered animal and plant species.
The agreement was signed by Europol’s Director Rob Wainwright and the Executive Director of the WJC Olivia Swaak-Goldman.
Environmental crime is highly attractive for organised crime groups due to it being harder to detect. By establishing partnerships with non-governmental organisations such as the WJC, Europol can build up capacity in the fight against the trafficking of endangered animal and plant species.
The 2016 EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking foresees a particular role for Europol in this area.
Europol is the European Union’s law enforcement agency. Based in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol assists the 28 EU Member States in their fight against serious international crime and terrorism.