EU eases rules on wolf hunting in Europe

The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday, the 8th of April, approved plans to make it easier to hunt wolves in the European Union (EU) by lowering their protection status, citing their increasing numbers and the threat they pose to livestock as reasons, according to Reuters.
The changes, already approved by EU member states last month, will lower the status of wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected”.
In practice, this means that EU countries can allow wolf hunting, but they still have to take measures to prevent the animals from becoming extinct, for example by limiting hunting seasons.
Since 1979, the Bern Convention has protected wolves from deliberate hunting or capturing unless they posed a serious threat to livestock or health.
“Now farmers can breathe a sigh of relief,” said lawmaker Herbert Dorfmann of the centre-right European People’s Party. “It’s time to adapt to modern realities. This means balancing our efforts to preserve nature with protecting farmers.”
Campaigners and some EU lawmakers have accused European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, who had her pony killed by a wolf in 2022, of having a personal motive to crack down on wolves.
“This does not help livestock farmers and harms forestry and nature,” said EU Greens lawmaker Jutta Paulus. Wolves can help forest ecosystems, for example by controlling wild game populations.
The Commission, which presented the proposal to change the status of wolves in EU law, said it was based on in-depth analysis and reasoning, including the fact that wolf populations are increasing across the EU, with an estimated 20 300 animals in 2023, which has caused major damage to livestock farms.
The EU had opposed an earlier proposal to lower the protection status of wolves under the Bern Convention, submitted in 2022 by Switzerland, a non-EU Member State.
The EP approved the proposal on Thursday by 371 votes to 162, with 37 abstentions.
EU countries must give their final approval to the change. The vote is expected to be a formality and the changes will be adopted.