T.R.A.C.I.N.G. PALAEONTOLOGY 2027 represents a landmark initiative designed to harmonise and operationalise global protocols for the investigation, protection, and regulation of palaeontological heritage.

Historically, the absence of shared initiatives and the complexity of opaque bureaucracy have fostered an isolationist environment. In this context, stakeholders have been compelled to operate under subjective interpretations rather than shared standards, leaving the international community effectively deprived of a unified operating language. T.R.A.C.I.N.G. PALAEONTOLOGY aims to bridge these regulatory and methodological gaps by moving beyond historical polarization and establishing a cohesive, technically grounded framework that serves science, justice and legitimate trade.

The delegates convened for T.R.A.C.I.N.G. PALAEONTOLOGY possess profound, specialised expertise within their respective domains. Yet, whether legal, scientific, or commercial, this knowledge converges on a single subject: the fossil itself. We proceed from the conviction that this expertise, currently siloed, must be shared. Integrating these distinct perspectives is the only path to a holistic understanding of heritage security, yielding a collective benefit that no single sector can achieve in isolation.

The urgency for this dialogue has never been more acute, driven by a critical operational inefficiency in the global management of palaeontological heritage. Whilst the market for palaeontological specimens has evolved from a niche curiosity into a high-value international industry, the accompanying regulatory landscape has remained dangerously underdeveloped.

At present, legitimate stakeholders—whether in law enforcement, science, or the commercial sector—are constrained to act a posteriori. Interventions typically occur only after a legal boundary has been crossed, a transaction has been flagged, or a reputational crisis has already emerged. This reactive posture is legally hazardous and economically inefficient, leaving responsible actors to manage disputes that could have been avoided.

Currently, prosecutors, border agents, and compliance officers lack the standardised forensic toolkit necessary to distinguish between a legally traded specimen and the proceeds of heritage crime. This regulatory vacuum creates immense legal risk for private collectors and auction houses, imposes significant operational delays upon the construction and mining industries, and poses a persistent threat to scientific research.

T.R.A.C.I.N.G. PALAEONTOLOGY 2027 aims to invert this paradigm. By integrating the specialised expertise of our delegates, we seek to transition from a system of reactive litigation to one of proactive regulation. Shared intelligence allows us to anticipate compliance risks and standardise procedures before they escalate into conflicts. Establishing these preventive protocols is essential to providing the legal certainty and operational stability required by the international market and the scientific community alike.

While the increasing number of seizures, investigations and enforcement actions has highlighted the urgency of addressing illicit trafficking of palaeontological materials, it has also exposed a critical systemic weakness: the absence of clear, shared and operational criteria capable of distinguishing illicit conduct from legitimate commercial activity. In many cases, lawful operators acting in good faith are placed in conditions of legal uncertainty, facing delays, confiscations and reputational risks not because of wrongdoing, but due to fragmented regulations, inconsistent interpretations and the lack of standardized documentation frameworks.

This initiative is therefore not conceived solely as a response to heritage crime, but as a proactive effort to protect legitimate trade by providing clarity, predictability and procedural certainty to all actors involved. By developing shared standards on provenance documentation, traceability and chain of custody, the project aims to reduce arbitrary enforcement outcomes, support compliance-oriented businesses, and allow enforcement authorities to focus their resources on genuinely illicit practices. Protecting palaeontological heritage and enabling legitimate commerce are complementary objectives that together support a credible, sustainable regulatory ecosystem.

To achieve a comprehensive and executable framework, T.R.A.C.I.N.G. PALAEONTOLOGY 2027 convenes eight distinct professional groups, each bringing essential, specialised insight to the table.

Academia and Museums & Heritage institutions provide the necessary scientific foundation. Their primary contribution is to contribute expertise in assessing scientific relevance, while fully recognizing that scientific publication and commercial circulation operate under distinct, complementary and non-hierarchical frameworks. This is reinforced by Geo-Forensic Specialists, who contribute the technical methodologies—such as soil analysis and chemical profiling—required to validate provenance and link specimens to specific geological contexts with evidentiary precision.

Law Enforcement & Customs agencies contribute critical intelligence on global trade routes, illicit trafficking, and field operations. Their perspective is integrated with that of the Legal & Judiciary sector, including prosecutors and private defence counsel, who ensure that any proposed standards are legally robust, upholding both state regulations and private property rights.

Crucially, the Commercial Sector and International Trading and Industry & Compliance representatives contribute the indispensable perspective of the market and land management. Their involvement ensures that regulations are grounded in the operational realities of global trade and large-scale excavation, moving beyond theory to practical application. Finally, Science Communicators serve to translate these technical protocols into public awareness, addressing reputational management and fostering societal understanding.

Bringing these perspectives together creates a pragmatic, multidisciplinary platform for operational standards.

The conference is conceived not merely as a forum for discussion, but as a structured working platform aimed at delivering concrete and usable outcomes. We aim to move decisively beyond the traditional output of a ‘book of abstracts and ideas.’ We acknowledge that significant changes to national and international legislation are complex, long-term processes that require careful deliberation.

Therefore, T.R.A.C.I.N.G. PALAEONTOLOGY 2027 is designed to create an immediate ‘Soft Law’ framework: a robust set of operational rules and technical standards that can be immediately recognised and applied by the stakeholders convened. To achieve these outcomes, the conference will establish dedicated working groups during the event, each focused on the development of a specific deliverable. By establishing a consensus on best practices today, we create a functional tool that resolves current operational challenges, serving as a practical foundation upon which future legislative developments can be built.

T.R.A.C.I.N.G. PALAEONTOLOGY is planned for April 2027 in Bologna, Italy.

Federico Fanti,

Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali

Collezione di Geologia ‘Museo Capellini’, Università di Bologna, Italy

IUGS-IFG Paleontology Advisor

Giorgia Bacchia

ZOIC s.r.l.  Trieste, Italy

IUGS-IFG Geoforensic International Network

Rosa Maria Di Maggio

Geoscienze Forensi Italia

IUGS-IFG Officer for Europe

Laurence Donnelly

Chair, IUGS Initiative on Forensic Geology 

AHK International

Q: What is T.R.A.C.I.N.G. Palaeontology 2027?

A: T.R.A.C.I.N.G. Palaeontology 2027 is an international, multidisciplinary initiative to co‑develop voluntary, operational tools — such as standard provenance templates, geo‑forensic methods and traceability protocols — aimed at improving documentation, legal clarity and the protection of palaeontological heritage.

Q: Why is this needed now?

A: Demand for fossils and international market activity have grown, while documentation practices, forensic capacity and cross‑border procedures remain inconsistent. This mismatch generates legal uncertainty and operational delays. T.R.A.C.I.N.G. aims to reduce these problems by developing shared, practical tools that improve traceability, support lawful activity and enable more effective enforcement.

Q: Is TRACING attempting to change national laws?

A: No. T.R.A.C.I.N.G. will develop non‑binding, practical standards and pilot protocols for voluntary adoption. These tools are intended to inform policymakers and support best practice, not to impose legislation.

Q: Who is involved?

A: T.R.A.C.I.N.G. brings together a balanced mix of stakeholders: Academia; Museums & Heritage; Geo‑Forensic Specialists; Law Enforcement & Customs; Legal & Judiciary; Commercial Sector and International Trading; Industry & Compliance; and Science Communicators. The project is hosted by the University of Bologna and technically stewarded by IFG, which will act as a neutral coordinator and adviser.

Q: Where and when is the meeting?

A: The meeting will be held in Bologna, Italy, in April 2027. The University of Bologna will host the event and provide institutional support.

Q: What outputs will TRACING deliver?

A: Standardised provenance fields, chain‑of‑custody templates, geoforensic sampling/reporting protocols, customs guidance notes, training modules and pilot project plans to test tools in selected source regions.

Q: How will pilots be run and evaluated?

A: Working groups will design small, testable pilots in selected source regions with clear objectives, measurable indicators and local stakeholder engagement. Pilot results will be evaluated against agreed metrics, used to refine the tools, and inform wider guidance and adoption.

Q: How does TRACING ensure neutrality and inclusion?

A: By convening balanced representation from all eight stakeholder groups, developing deliverables as voluntary, practical tools rather than legal prescriptions, and maintaining transparent processes with peer review and opportunities for broad input.

Q: Will sensitive case details be published?

A: No. Case material that could compromise investigations or legal processes will be treated as confidential. Public outputs will focus on methods, anonymised examples and non‑sensitive lessons learned.

Q: How can organisations get involved?

A: Organisations can participate by nominating representatives to our working groups, indicating preferred thematic areas (provenance, customs, geo‑forensics, legal, digital traceability, communications), and joining pre‑meeting scoping calls. Please see the briefing pack for contact details and next steps.

Q: Who will be responsible for follow‑up?

A: Working groups established at the Bologna meeting will take ownership of specific deliverables. A central coordination secretariat will manage timelines, collate documentation, and oversee dissemination and evaluation of pilot results

Q: How will success be measured?

A: Short‑term indicators include uptake of templates and protocols in pilot sites, clearer customs and administrative procedures, and positive stakeholder feedback. Longer‑term measures include fewer provenance disputes, faster lawful transfers, and broader adoption of tested tools and practices.