Representatives of the EU states have voted to make it easier to shoot wolves in the future. Germany is also in favor of this. Conservationists emphasize that herd protection must also be part of the solution.
There are over 20,000 wolves in the EU and the number is growing. Because they are strictly protected, the population is recovering splendidly, according to the EU Commission – but this is becoming a problem for livestock farmers. In Brandenburg and Lower Saxony and in their EU neighbours, wolves are killing sheep, goats, cows and horses.
Most attacks are reported from Spain, France and Italy. The majority of member states therefore want to make it easier to shoot wolves. The EU Commission made a proposal to this effect in December and, according to its spokesman Adalbert Jahnz, welcomes the decision of the EU ambassadors.
Germany votes for reduced protection
“The aim of the proposal is to give the authorities more flexibility in wolf management so that they do not have to stick to the narrow limits of the strict protection status, but can use the broader possibilities of the more flexible protection status,” said Jahnz.
The federal government has approved the changes and thereby ensured the necessary majority among the 27 EU states. This is responsible from the point of view of nature conservation and necessary from the point of view of grazing livestock farmers, explains Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke.
No Free pass for unregulated shootings
A year ago, the Green politician presented a national regulation to make it easier to shoot wolves. “This is necessary so that we can maintain a balance between grazing livestock, which is also incredibly important for biodiversity, and protecting the wolf, a strictly protected species in Europe,” said Lemke.
A species that, according to the decision of the member states, will in future only be classified as “protected”. From the perspective of the Ministry of the Environment, this gives the responsible authorities more leeway in dealing with problematic wolves, but is not a free pass for unregulated shooting.
EPP Group criticises delays
Lemke said he campaigned in Brussels to ensure that the downgrading of the protection status only applies to the wolf. The Commission spokesman confirmed: “As far as changes to EU law are concerned, we have made it very clear that this is about the wolf and only the wolf. Any resulting changes to EU law would be limited to modifying the protection status of this specific species.”
The Christian Democrats in the EU Parliament criticize the fact that the Green Federal Environment Minister only cleared the way for changes after a long hesitation. The environmental policy spokesman for the EPP group, Peter Liese, explains: “It was high time. It is absolutely necessary to lower the protection status of the wolf because it is no longer endangered, but rather endangers grazing livestock farming. And that is a natural form of agriculture that we want to preserve.”
NABU: Herd protection must be part of the solution
The NABU organization complains that the debate is highly emotional. Making it easier to shoot wolves will not eliminate the risk of attacks, says the NABU. Herd protection will always have to be part of the solution. Once the EU states have formally confirmed their decision, the next step will follow at the beginning of December: The Commission will then apply to the relevant committee of the Bern Convention to downgrade the wolf’s protection status.
This is the international treaty for the conservation of European wild animals and plants. Once approved, Brussels can make a concrete proposal on how problem wolves can be killed more easily.