National law enforcement agencies in the European Union (EU) play a crucial role in the efficient enforcement of EU Wildlife Trade Regulations through the efforts of Customs, police and other inspection services in combating illegal wildlife trade into and from the EU, as well as within the single market of its 28 Member States.
The EU-TWIX database has been developed to assist national law enforcement agencies, including CITES Management Authorities and prosecutors, in their task of detecting, analyzing and monitoring illegal activities related to trade in fauna and flora covered by the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. The main section of the database is designed to become a unique source of centralised data on seizures and offences reported by all 28 EU Member States. Additionally, it has a section with information on technical, scientific, economic and other fields to help with the identification, valuation, disposal, etc. of seized or confiscated specimens. The purposes of EU-TWIX are to assist with strategic analyses and with carrying out field investigations.
The success of EU-TWIX largely depends on the regular input of information relating to new seizures and offences by national law enforcement agencies. The contribution of all designated enforcement officers in each EU Member State is therefore essential to increase significantly the efficiency of this tool in a short-term period.
If you are accessing this database for the first time, please read the Terms of Reference and User’s Guide before entering the database.
