Environmental groups condemn EU Parliament’s approval to downgrade wolf protection as an attack on nature

Today, the European Parliament approved the European Commission’s proposal to weaken the wolf’s strict protection under the EU Habitats Directive. This vote follows the earlier decision [1] to downlist the species under the Bern Convention. From the beginning, the EU’s push against the wolf has faced strong opposition from scientists and environmental organisations.

The decision marks a shift away from science-based policymaking in the new EU mandate, setting a worrying trend that can reach far beyond the wolf. The EU’s sudden change of heart about the wolf is expected to be only the first act. Far-right and conservative documents [2] [3] [4]show that there is still a hunger to further unravel nature laws, much like the ongoing onslaught to the EU Green Deal [5]. This vote also sets a dangerous precedent for EU policymaking, showing how a baseless crusade can be framed as a bloc-wide priority.

“Downgrading wolf protection is a political move disguised as policy – it ignores science, fuels division, and jeopardises one of Europe’s greatest conservation successes. At a time when we must boost Europe’s nature – our best ally against the climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises – some decision makers are wasting time and energy to wage wars against our fragile species and ecosystems. European leaders must fulfil their duty to the public by defending nature, not sacrificing it for political gains,” says a coalition of NGOs consisting of WWF EU, BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, and the European Environmental Bureau.

The U-turn started in September 2023, when Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocated to downgrade the species’ protection following the death of her pony, Dolly, reportedly due to a wolf attack. In December 2023, the European Commission proposed to downlist the species under the Bern Convention. Just a year earlier, the EU rejected the same proposal for lacking a scientific basis. 

From a conservation perspective, the decision is expected to undo decades of progress. While strict protection under the Habitats Directive has allowed wolf populations to recover, their condition remains fragile in most of Europe. It grants Member States greater flexibility in ‘managing’ wolf populations, including increased culling, which is bound to threaten the species. To avoid this setback, we call on Member States to keep the wolf strictly protected under their national law.

Weakening the Habitats Directive undermines one of the EU’s most effective tools for preserving biodiversity: the law effectively restores species, protects ecosystems, and helps safeguard Europe’s natural heritage. 

Notes to editors

[1] Nature under attack: Bern Convention weakens wolf protection 

[2] “The regulatory burden must be decreased across the board, by reviewing the EU legislation that affects the agricultural sector and EU food production, including the Nitrates Directive and Habitats Directive,” the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) assert in a document published on April 2 to contribute to the debate on the “vision for agriculture .” source: Contexte

[3] “A review of Natura 2000 legislation is needed, enabling Member States to more effectively protect nature and make it more resilient,” says the European People’s Party 2024 Manifesto.

[4] “I think it is wise to immediately make a targeted change that alters the status of the wolves. Then, we should carefully assess the situation for other species”, says Peter Liese in a press release in March 2025.

[5] “Europe’s Green Deal is attacked on all sides”, source: Le Monde