EU-backed innovative approaches to combating the trafficking of goods

The illicit trafficking of goods is a security threat and a growing challenge for Europe. Traffickers, who are often tightly connected to organised crime, use new approaches and advanced technologies, expanding their activities to non-traditional areas of trafficking, such as wildlife or intangible assets. Wildlife trafficking is a global criminal enterprise generating over EUR 23 billion annually, with far-reaching consequences, from biodiversity loss to the financing of transnational organised crime. The illicit trafficking of intangible assets on the other hand, is linked to the proliferation of intangible goods, such as cryptocurrencies, stolen data, digital credentials, and decentralised financial products.

Traditional law enforcement tools and technologies are insufficient for facing increasingly complex trafficking networks that exploit digital platforms, forged documentation, and rapid global supply chains. This is why the EU supports European innovation to develop European technologies: from advanced scanning and AI-driven monitoring to blockchain analytics and cross-sector data-sharing platforms for European law enforcement, customs authorities and other stakeholders.

EU-funded innovation combatting the trafficking of goods

By leveraging European innovation and collaboration, developing new technologies that are tested in Europe, training expert staff and improving public-private partnerships, the EU and European security stakeholders can strengthen the response to evolving threats and protect European financial systems, digital infrastructure, biodiversity, ecosystems, as well as societal trust.

In this view, the European Commission under the umbrella of CERIS - the Community for European Research and Innovation for Security, organised the workshop Innovative Approaches to Combating the Trafficking of Goods on 28 April 2026 in Brussels. The workshop brought together over 70 participants with diverse backgrounds: law enforcement and customs practitioners from EU Member States; EU policymakers; EU-funded European innovators from academia and industry; and civil society organisations, working on environmental protection, wildlife trafficking, and financial intelligence.

The workshop presented innovative European solutions in the fight against trafficking, focusing on 15 EU-funded projects that have developed advanced tools for:

1. Identification and detection capabilities of illicit goods: Bag-Intel, CustomAi, PACK, METEOR, PERIVALLON,  FAUNOS, ECO-SOLVE, MULTISCAN3D, and ENTRANCE
2. Analysis of illicit flows and patterns, risk assessments and prediction models: ARIEN, FALCON, BorderLink, CEASEFIRE, CRYPTOACTION, and CONNECTOR

Tackling wildlife trafficking

Wildlife trafficking is one of the most lucrative forms of transnational crime. Traditional enforcement methods, such as physical inspections and manual documentation checks, are increasingly inadequate in the face of sophisticated wildlife trafficking networks. Participants in the workshop identified five critical issues requiring urgent attention regarding innovation to fight illicit wildlife trafficking:

• detection and identification challenges
• legislative and regulatory fragmentation
• expertise and capacity gaps
• technological potential and implementation barriers
• reduced awareness and political commitment

Priority actions were also identified, such as testing new technologies, harmonising existing legislation, reinforcing training and specialisation programmes, and strengthening public-private partnerships.

Understanding the rapid proliferation of intangible assets

Workshop participants also exposed deep systemic vulnerabilities in current enforcement frameworks. Criminals increasingly exploit cryptocurrencies' speed, while law enforcement struggles with high investigative costs, uncooperative exchanges, and regulatory gaps. Human capital limitations, including a shortage of specialised expertise and high staff turnover, further weaken responses, as does limited trust and collaboration between the public and private sectors. Existing solutions, such as blockchain analytics, AI-driven monitoring, and cross-sector data-sharing platforms offer promising avenues to enhance enforcement. However, scaling these solutions requires coordinated efforts among policymakers, law enforcement, financial institutions, and the Research and Innovation community. The way forward involves raising awareness, improving digital monitoring, strengthening public-private collaboration, and securing funding for Research and Innovation.

Panellists also addressed the convergence of illicit trafficking with other criminal activities, noting overlaps between wildlife trafficking and drug smuggling, human trafficking, financial crime, and cyber fraud, which all share similar routes, methods, and enablers, like corruption and digital platforms. Workshop participants concluded that tackling convergence requires not only better tools and collaboration but also a shift in mindset, one that views trafficking of different goods as a systemic threat rather than a series of independent crimes.

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