Environmental groups condemn EU Parliament\u2019s approval to downgrade wolf protection as an attack on nature<\/b><\/p>\n
Today, the European Parliament approved the European Commission\u2019s proposal to weaken the wolf\u2019s 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\u2019s push against the wolf has faced strong opposition from scientists and environmental organisations.<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cDowngrading wolf protection is a political move disguised as policy – it ignores science, fuels division, and jeopardises one of Europe\u2019s greatest conservation successes. At a time when we must boost Europe\u2019s 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,\u201d says a coalition of NGOs consisting of<\/span> WWF EU, BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, <\/b>and the<\/span> European Environmental Bureau<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n The U-turn started in September 2023, when Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocated to downgrade the species\u2019 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 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 \u2018managing\u2019 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.<\/span><\/p>\n Weakening the Habitats Directive undermines one of the EU\u2019s most effective tools for preserving biodiversity: the law effectively restores species, protects ecosystems, and helps safeguard Europe\u2019s natural heritage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Notes to editors<\/b><\/p>\n [1] <\/span>Nature under attack: Bern Convention weakens wolf protection\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n [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 <\/span>a document<\/span><\/a> published on April 2 to contribute to the debate on <\/span>the “vision for agriculture<\/span><\/a> .” source: Contexte<\/span><\/p>\n [3] \u201cA review of Natura 2000 legislation is needed, enabling Member States to more effectively protect nature and make it more resilient,\u201d says the <\/span>European People\u2019s Party 2024 Manifesto<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [4] \u201cI 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\u201d, <\/span>says Peter Liese<\/span><\/a> in a press release in March 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n