Animal rights activists outraged

Protection status of wolves has been lowered

(Bild: APA/AFP/Olivier MORIN)

The signatory states of the Bern Convention have lowered the protection status of the wolf from "strictly protected" to "protected". This makes it easier to hunt wolves in the EU. Animal rights activists are critical of this step.

The decision was announced by the press office of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on Tuesday. The proposal to lower the protection status had come from the EU, which may now, in a further step, lower the protection of wolves in the Flora-Fauna-Habitat Directive (FFH Directive).

Switzerland had long wanted a lower protection status
It was not disclosed which countries voted how. The EU Commission, which speaks on behalf of the 27 EU member states in Strasbourg, is likely to have voted in favor of the proposal. The same applies to Switzerland, which had already campaigned for a reduction in the protection status of wolves in 2022 - but failed at the time due to the EU's rejection, among other things.

Following today's decision, it will be three months before the protection status is lowered under the Bern Convention. Until then, a third of the signatory states could theoretically still veto the decision - but this is unlikely, as a two-thirds majority was required for today's decision.

Wolf population must not be endangered
A lowered protection status would give the EU states more flexibility to allow wolves to be hunted without completely removing protection - the status of the wolf population must not be jeopardized, according to a press release from the Council of Europe, under which the Bern Convention was adopted.

WWF sees "completely wrong signal"
Animal rights activists are critical of this step: it is not scientifically sound, warns the WWF. The organization speaks of a "completely wrong signal". "The ruling politicians are refusing to do their homework and are instead launching a populist attack on species conservation. What is really needed is a well-planned herd protection offensive," says species protection expert Christian Pichler. The NGO fears that the entire Habitats Directive will be watered down as a result. 

"As native wild animals and predators, wolves are a natural contribution to biodiversity," explained Pichler. "They prevent the spread of diseases and ideally also strengthen the important protective forests because they can reduce excessive game populations."