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International Fund for Animal Welfare

IFAW

IFAW protects animals and their habitats through conservation and advocacy work.

Lobbying Activity

IFAW urges strict safeguards for EU nature credit markets

29 Sept 2025
Topic — The European Commission is developing a roadmap for voluntary nature credits.
Message — IFAW insists that nature credits must never be used for offsetting environmental damage caused by firms. They advocate for including wild animal contributions and animal welfare within project integrity standards.12
Why — These rules would protect the organization's mission by preventing the commodification of nature.3
Impact — Corporations would lose the ability to use nature credits as a substitute for regulation.4
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Response to EU industrial maritime strategy

22 Jul 2025

Please find attached IFAW contribution to the Call for Evidence on the EU Industrial Maritime Strategy.
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Response to EU Ports Strategy

18 Jul 2025

Please find attached IFAW and BUND joint contribution to the Call for Evidence.
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Meeting with Maria Ohisalo (Member of the European Parliament) and Humane World for Animals Europe

13 May 2025 · CITES resolution

Meeting with Humberto Delgado Rosa (Director Environment)

25 Mar 2025 · Exchange of views on nature credits and invasive alien species

Meeting with Catarina Vieira (Member of the European Parliament)

12 Mar 2025 · Animal Welfare and Trade

IFAW Urges Mandatory Ship Speed Limits to Protect Marine Life

17 Feb 2025
Topic — The European Oceans Pact seeks to harmonize EU policies to ensure healthy, resilient oceans and coastal areas.
Message — IFAW requests legally binding measures to reduce underwater noise, including mandatory shipping speed caps. They also advocate for seasonal fishing closures to prevent dolphin bycatch and a dedicated EU Ocean Fund.123
Why — These regulations would advance the organization's core mission to ensure animals are respected and protected.4
Impact — The fishing and shipping sectors would face increased operational costs and significant potential profit losses.5
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Meeting with Sebastian Everding (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Feb 2025 · Introduction meeting

Meeting with Cristina De Avila (Head of Unit Environment) and Eurogroup for Animals and

14 Jan 2025 · CITES: Transparency; the future Multi-Annual Financial Framework; EU Live Animal Transport Regulation; and Registration of Captive Breeding Facilities for Appendix-I Species

Meeting with Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Dec 2024 · Wildlife protection

Meeting with Lynn Boylan (Member of the European Parliament)

5 Nov 2024 · Protection of wildlife including seals and whales

Meeting with Michal Wiezik (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Priorities in wildlife conservation

Meeting with Thomas Waitz (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

24 Sept 2024 · Tierschutz

Meeting with Tilly Metz (Member of the European Parliament)

23 Jul 2024 · Animal Welfare

Meeting with Maria Noichl (Member of the European Parliament)

11 Jul 2024 · Animal Welfare

IFAW calls for stricter rules on wild animal transport

9 Apr 2024
Topic — The revision of EU rules on the welfare of animals during transport across member states.
Message — The organization calls for species-specific provisions for wild animals and a clear definition of economic activities. They also request an explicit exclusion for animal rescue emergency purposes to ensure prompt action.123
Why — This would ensure that wild animal welfare is protected while removing legal ambiguity for rescue operations.45
Impact — Commercial wildlife traders and circuses would face stricter requirements and higher costs for transport.67
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Meeting with Caroline Roose (Member of the European Parliament)

24 Jan 2024 · Évènement Campagne blue speeds

Meeting with Caroline Roose (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Seas At Risk

13 Nov 2023 · Plan d'Action ressources halieutiques et écosystèmes marins

Meeting with Annika Bruna (Member of the European Parliament)

25 Oct 2023 · Réunion d'information

Meeting with Ciarán Cuffe (Member of the European Parliament)

3 May 2023 · Noise pollution from maritime sector (staff level)

IFAW demands stronger marine protection in EU taxonomy standards

2 May 2023
Topic — The consultation defines sustainable investment criteria for protecting water resources and marine ecosystems.
Message — The organization requests including the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in the taxonomy's technical standards. They argue this is essential for ensuring that investments do not harm marine ecosystems.12
Why — This would strengthen legal protections for the marine habitats IFAW aims to preserve.3
Impact — Maritime companies could face stricter environmental thresholds to qualify for green investment funding.4
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Meeting with Francisco Guerreiro (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Apr 2023 · Ocean noise pollution

Meeting with Caroline Roose (Member of the European Parliament)

28 Feb 2023 · Pollution sonore sous marine

Meeting with Martin Hojsík (Member of the European Parliament) and Eurogroup for Animals and Humane World for Animals Europe

11 Jan 2023 · Wildlife

Meeting with Sirpa Pietikäinen (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Sept 2022 · MEPs4Wildlife

Meeting with Caroline Roose (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur for opinion) and European Environmental Bureau and

1 Sept 2022 · Environmental Crime Directive (Protection of the environment through criminal law )

Animal Welfare Fund Urges Ambitious EU Nature Restoration Targets

19 Aug 2022
Topic — A legislative proposal to set legally binding targets for restoring damaged European ecosystems.
Message — The organization calls for higher restoration percentages and a faster timeline to reach 100% habitat recovery. They also recommend mandatory ship speed reductions to curb noise pollution and 'positive lists' to control exotic pet trading.123
Why — These measures would strengthen legal protections for marine species and habitats central to their conservation mission.4
Impact — Shipping companies and exotic pet traders would face stricter operational limits and new commercial restrictions.56
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Response to Evaluation of UCPM

2 Jun 2022

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) welcomes this opportunity to provide input on the evaluation of Decision No. 131/2013/EU on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism. IFAW’s Disaster Response and Risk Reduction team works to save animals, mitigate impact, assist vulnerable communities and provide resilience-building resources. With an emphasis on preparedness, we believe the work must start before the disaster strikes. We stand ready to engage with the European Commission on the steps to improve EU policy and funding related to disasters and the importance of including animal welfare in this framework. Please find additional information in the attachment.
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Response to Improving environmental protection through criminal law

4 Mar 2022

Please see attached a more detailed feedback on behalf of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
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Response to Preventing illegal trade in wildlife

29 Oct 2021

Please find IFAW feedback on the Roadmap in the uploaded Briefing. We remain at your disposal for any clarifications or further details.
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Response to Wildlife trade – alignment of EU rules with recent decisions taken under the CITES convention and changes to EU ivory trade rules

24 Feb 2021

Today, there are just about 400,000 elephants in Africa; a 70 percent decline since the 1970s, primarily due to poaching. On average, 20,000 elephants are killed each year for their ivory, or 1 elephant every 26 minutes. The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, which is so critical to achieving the objectives of the European Green Deal, presented a golden opportunity for the EU to demonstrate global leadership on wildlife trade by closing the EU ivory market and urging other countries to do the same. Global ivory trade is a threat to elephants wherever they are. Trade in ivory, even when it is legal, causes consumer and enforcement confusion, and potentially provides a cover for the laundering of illegal ivory. IFAW has been advocating for restrictions on the ivory trade in Europe for the past decade, as the EU is the largest exporter of legal ivory in the world. We broadly support the European Commission’s proposed amendments to Commission Regulation 865/2006 and the draft revised guidance document on the EU regime governing trade in ivory, however, some gaps remain and we have reflected those in the attached joint position paper.
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Meeting with Virginijus Sinkevičius (Commissioner) and

12 Feb 2021 · To discuss different blue/marine related issues, in particular bycatch emergency measures, EU-UK negotiations and implementation of the Biodiversity Strategy.

Meeting with Diana Montero Melis (Cabinet of Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen), Renaud Savignat (Cabinet of Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen) and

23 Sept 2020 · Making the European Green Deal work for International Partnerships

Meeting with Anthony Agotha (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans), Damyana Stoynova (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans), Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans) and

9 Sept 2020 · The Green Deal implemetation with view to external relations

Meeting with Diana Montero Melis (Cabinet of Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen), Renaud Savignat (Cabinet of Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen) and

10 Jun 2020 · European Green Deal, COVID-19 and development cooperation

Meeting with Diana Montero Melis (Cabinet of Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen) and WWF European Policy Programme and

26 Mar 2020 · international dimension of the European Green Deal

Response to EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy

20 Jan 2020

The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org Please find our feedback attached as .pdf
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Response to Evaluation of the EU Animal Welfare Strategy (2012-2015)

14 Jun 2019

The International Fund for Animal Welfare thank the European Commission for this opportunity to provide feedback on the evaluation roadmap for the EU Strategy for the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2012-2015. Our submission is attached for your consideration.
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Response to Update of the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern

5 Apr 2019

The International Fund for Animal Welfare appreciates the European Commission’s efforts to continue updating the list of invasive alien species of Union concern via draft amendment to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 2016/1141. While we have no objections to the inclusion of the species listed, we deeply regret that the American mink (Neovison vison) has not been included in the list. It is without question that the American mink is recognized as one of the most invasive alien species in Europe having a dramatic impact on native biodiversity. Numerous scientific studies and the Risk Assessment submitted by Portugal, and approved by the Scientific Forum on IAS in 2018, provide ample evidence that the American mink warrants inclusion on the list. At the time of adopting the EU regulation, a permitting exemption was included in Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 to address the concerns of certain Member States regarding commercial activities, namely fur farms, in their jurisdiction. Authorisation for facilities could be achieved if biosecurity measures were met. Yet, there continues to be political push back to use this very exemption proposed by these Member States. Consequently, the serious impacts of American mink on native wildlife in Europe can continue unchecked. We find this unacceptable. The EU has funded at least 19 LIFE projects to tackle threats to native species from American mink. Not listing one of the most the damaging invasive alien species in Europe on the Union list sets a dangerous precedent and undermines efforts to meet the EU’s 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. We strongly encourage the EU to place the species on the list as a matter of urgency.
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Meeting with Sebastien Paquot (Cabinet of Vice-President Karmenu Vella) and Eurogroup for Animals and

22 Nov 2018 · CITES

Meeting with Daniel Calleja Crespo (Director-General Environment)

11 Oct 2016 · Wildlife trafficking and CITES

Meeting with Xavier Prats Monné (Director-General Health and Food Safety)

5 Feb 2016 · Discussion on Animal Welfare