More than 300 civil society groups call on the EU to strengthen, not undermine, efforts to live with wolves. Member States should strengthen wolf protection, not weaken it.
A large coalition of civil society and animal welfare organisations is calling on EU Member States to reject the European Commission’s proposal to downgrade wolf protection under the Bern Convention. Instead, the coalition is calling for increased efforts to promote coexistence with large carnivores including preventive measures, and to safeguard decades of conservation success.
As EU Member States must decide on the European Commission’s politically motivated proposal, a large coalition of civil society organizations and 300K Europeans are calling on the EU to:
- Promote coexistence: strengthen preventive measures such as the use of fences and sheep dogs and make them more accessible to farmers.
- Enforce protection: Ensure that illegal wolf hunting is eradicated and uphold the EU’s Habitats Directive.
- Raise awareness: Provide science-based education on the ecological and socio-economic benefits of wolves.
- Respect science: Base any changes to wolf protection on rigorous data, not political pressure.
“According to media reports, there has been a lot of political pressure on Member States to accept the European Commission’s unscientific and politically motivated proposal,” say the organisers. They stress that this is a crucial moment for Environment Ministers. “Wolves must remain strictly protected – not just for the sake of the species and science, but for the health of our ecosystems and the credibility of the European Union. If the EU wants to be a trusted ally of nature and a global leader, we must set the right example now”.
Notes:
- Read the full statement.
- The Green Tank – along with 19 other Greek environmental NGOs – co-signed a letter to the Greek government and the Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy urging them to also reject the proposal to downgrade wolf protection
- On International Wolf Day (13 August), Avaaz launched a petition calling on the Environment Ministers of the EU Member States to ensure that wolves remain under strict protection.
- At the end of 2023, nearly 300 NGOs signed a joint letter urging the President of the European Commission to maintain existing protections for wolves across Europe.
