Illegal trade in wildlife, timber and minerals: the EU’s response

At this Club of Rome EU-Chapter policy debate, we explore the practice of converting illegally obtained natural resources such as wild animals and plants, timber and minerals into legal products that consumers buy. Think of a hardwood floor, endangered animals sold as pets, or a golden wedding ring. We also explore what the European Union (EU) is doing at its borders, by means of its customs policies, to stop illegally obtained natural resources from entering the EU market or being sent elsewhere.

We welcome as speaker to our policy debate Prof. Daan van Uhm, Professor of Environmental Crime at the Open Universiteit in Heerlen, the Netherlands, and Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Utrecht, the Netherlands. He researches how and why crime groups interact with corporations and state actors to launder natural resources and what environmental impact this brings about. Insights of his work are crucial for scientists, policymakers, corporations, NGOs, and law enforcement, for developing better solutions to tackle the laundering of natural resources.

As discussant we welcome Matthias Petschke, Director for Customs at the European Commission, Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (TAXUD) in Brussels. He is heading, among others, units dealing with customs policy, customs legislation, and risk management and security.

Karl Falkenberg, President of the Club of Rome EU-Chapter, will moderate the discussion.

The event is open to our Members, Associate Members, and all others who are interested in the topic!

Venue: Residence Palace, Rue de la Loi 155, Brussels

Please register here:  https://forms.gle/o9LMdH4m3HdubLaC8