Agency Report –
The European Commission plans to allow its member states to adopt a stricter stance against wolves.
The Brussels authority announced on Friday that the protection status of the wolf would be changed from “strictly protected” to “protected.” This would allow EU countries to cull the animals more easily, although they are not required to do so.
The proposal for the corresponding legislative amendment still needs approval from the European Parliament and the member states.
“In some European regions, wolf packs have become a real danger especially for livestock,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “Today, we are proposing a change of EU law that will help local authorities to actively manage wolf populations while protecting both biodiversity and our rural livelihoods.”
Wolves once exterminated in Germany
According to the conservation organization WWF, the wolf was exterminated in Western Europe, including Germany, in the mid-19th century. It survived only in eastern and southern Europe. In recent years, however, populations have markedly recovered.
According to the 2023-24 report from the German Agency for Nature Conservation, the number of verified wolves increased by 262 within a year to 1,601. The primary habitats include the states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg and Saxony.
The German Farmers’ Association (DBV) estimates there are now between 1,800 and 3,300 wolves in Germany.
German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir stated in a report that the adjustment is positive news for pastoral farming and not bad for species conservation. “Because sheep, goats and cattle on pasture strengthen biodiversity and the preservation of valuable cultural landscapes,” he said.
Farmers’ Association calls it an overdue step
The German government changed its stance on wolf policy last year and agreed to amend the so-called Bern Convention. This is a 1979 international treaty by the Council of Europe to protect European wildlife and plants.
The amendment took effect on Friday and was a prerequisite for further procedures at the EU level.
“The adjustment is more than overdue and the conservation status of the wolf population is more than favourable,” said DBV Secretary General Bernhard Krüsken regarding the commission’s proposal. Grazing animals should no longer be subjected to the “unchecked spread” of the wolf, he said.
However, according to the German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), livestock holders need financial support, particularly for herd protection.
NABU official Konstantin Kreiser said in a statement, “Today’s decision by the commission is pure client politics at the expense of nature – without prospects of significantly reducing the number of wolf attacks.”
By Jan Christoph Freybott
