Europe’s wolves under attack: Bern Convention weakens wolf protection

By voting to weaken the protection of wolves under the Bern Convention, the EU Member States ignored the appeals of more than 300 civil society organisations, including EuroNatur, and scientific bodies such as the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe (LCIE). 

Responsible wolf management, including the culling of wolves if needed, was already possible under previous legislation. Nevertheless, in December 2023, the European Commission proposed weakening the protection of wolves under the pretext of protecting grazing animals. This followed a very opaque consultation process, which is currently being investigated by the EU Ombudsman on the initiative of the NGO ClientEarth.

It is only thanks to strict conservation measures that the wolf population in Europe has slowly recovered in recent decades. However, it remains endangered in many regions. Maintaining the protected status is, therefore, crucial to achieve and secure the long-term stability of the population. Instead of easing tensions, this decision could exacerbate polarisation and erode trust in efforts to manage wolf populations effectively.

“The decision to weaken the protection status of the wolf, contrary to scientific evidence, significantly diminishes the credibility of EU environmental policy and recklessly jeopardises years of conservation efforts,” criticises Antje Henkelmann from EuroNatur. “The lifting of strict protection under the Bern Convention paves the way for the further erosion of species protection in the European Union,” fears the EuroNatur project manager and wolf expert.

“This step could also negatively impact nature conservation efforts in the EU accession countries,” says Mareike Brix, programme manager for large carnivores at EuroNatur. “Many of the countries base their nature conservation policy on the legislation of the European Union. It is, therefore, a fatal signal if the nature conservation laws are now being undermined by the EU itself,” says Brix.