Today, a majority of European countries agreed to change the level of protection of the wolf (Canis lupus) under the Bern Convention.

The proposal was based on data showing a population increase of 81% in the last 10 years in Europe. The wolf’s conservation success comes in parallel with a range of coexistence challenges.

This proposal was adopted by more than two/third majority of the parties, supported by the European Union (27 votes), and Andorra, Armenia, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, Macédoine, Moldavia, Lichtenstein, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine.

Changing the protection status of the wolf is a long-lasting request by the European Parliament and, more recently, the EU-27 Member States (link).

The change is not immediately applicable in the EU. The next step requires a downlisting of the wolf in the Habitats Directive from Annex IV (strict protection) to V (protection). The need to maintain favourable conservation status will remain, but the approach to management can become more flexible to cater for local and regional dimensions.

“We welcome the news that the EU’s proposal was positively received as an initiative to balance conservation and species management. Importantly, this presents an opportunity for the Habitats Directive to accommodate this conservation success. There are still some legal hurdles, but they are now achievable.” – Laurens Hoedemaker, President of FACE.