The Commission had been collecting data from member states in recent months to reassess the protection status. The return of the wolf to EU regions where it has not been seen for a long time, as well as the increase in its populations in new areas, has led to difficulties and conflicts, the Commission explains its decision.
The Commission presented a proposal in Brussels on Wednesday to adjust the protection status of the wolf under the international Bern Convention on the conservation of European wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats. Since the contracting parties are the EU and its Member States, without changing the protection status under the Berne Convention, the status cannot be changed at EU level. The consent of the EU member states and other contracting parties to the Berne Convention is also required.
“Became a real danger”
“The return of the wolf is good news for biodiversity in Europe. However, the density of wolf packs in some European regions has now become a real threat, especially for livestock farming,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Local authorities called for “greater flexibility for the active management of critical wolf populations.” This should be facilitated at European level and the process launched by the Commission today is an important step towards this.
Tyrol’s governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP), who had repeatedly vehemently pushed for a lowering of the protection status and in whose state the pressure on wolves had been increased this year by means of a regulation including easier shooting, was very pleased. “The pressure and arguments from Tyrol are having an effect, the European Union is finally giving in to the big predators,” Mattle told the APA. Tyrol has “made an enormous contribution at the European level and has laid the foundation for the extraction with the amendment to the Tyrolean Hunting Act”. “This means that the Tyrolean Way is finally secured. We will continue to do everything we can to secure traditional alpine farming and our living space,” emphasized the state governor.
