The standing committee of the Bern Convention today (Tuesday, December 3) voted in favour of the EU proposal to adapt the protection status of the wolf from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected’.
On the basis of an in-depth analysis on the status of the wolf in the EU, the commission proposed in December 2023 to change the protection status of the wolf, which was then adopted by the council in September 2024.
The change will now enter into force on March 7, 2025, allowing the EU to be able to adapt the corresponding annexes of the Habitat Directive.
The commission will propose a targeted legislative amendment to this effect, which will need to be adopted by the European Parliament and the council.
The change will give additional flexibility to member states in managing their local wolf populations.
The wolf will remain a protected species, and member states conservation and management measures will still need to achieve and maintain favourable conservation status.
Investments in appropriate damage prevention measures will remain essential to reduce livestock predation.
The commission will continue to help EU representatives and stakeholders in the design and implementation of such measures through funding and other forms of support.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen said the decision was made as “we need a balanced approach between the preservation of wildlife and the protection of our livelihoods.”
Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall said: “EU’s conservation policy and efforts towards the wolf have been a success in the past decades.
“Ever increasing wolf populations and the risk that this poses has justified to adapt the legal protection status of the wolf.”
Roswall said that the next step will be the proposal to update European Union rules in line with the decision.