A majority of EU member states have voted to lower the protection status of wolves, the European Commission confirmed on Wednesday. The decision is set to be formally approved on Thursday by ministers at the EU Competitiveness Council in Brussels. This vote, which took place among the EU’s permanent representatives, marks a significant shift in how wolves will be managed across Europe.
Austria’s Minister of Agriculture, Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP), has been a vocal supporter of this move, emphasizing that the wolf population in Europe is no longer endangered and grows by up to 30% annually. “The problem with wolves goes far beyond livestock attacks, as they are increasingly losing their fear of humans,” Totschnig said, calling the decision a “milestone.”
While the decision formally lies with the EU’s environment ministers, there had been no majority support for lowering the wolf’s protection status until now. Austria’s Minister of Environment, Leonore Gewessler (Green Party), had opposed the change but was bound by a unified stance from Austria’s federal states, all of which supported the downgrade.
Environmental groups, however, have strongly criticized the move. The WWF described it as a “populist attack on species protection,” arguing that better herd protection measures, not a reduction in wolf protection, are needed. WWF expert Christian Pichler pointed out that wolves play a key role in biodiversity by controlling wildlife populations and preventing the spread of disease. Tierschutz Austria also urged Gewessler to oppose the decision, warning of “devastating consequences” for native wildlife and forests.
On the other hand, farming organizations welcomed the decision. Georg Strasser, President of the Austrian Farmers’ Association, argued that wolves pose a significant threat to livestock farming and called for long-term hunting of the species. Alexander Bernhuber, an ÖVP spokesperson for agriculture and the environment, said the vote was a result of “Austrian pressure,” while the FPÖ and the Chamber of Agriculture also expressed support, emphasizing the need to protect traditional alpine farming.
Despite the strong opinions on both sides, SPÖ EU parliamentarian Günther Sidl criticized the timing of the decision, arguing that issues such as inflation and economic uncertainty are more pressing than wolf management. He called for more scientific data on wolf populations before making any final decisions and warned that other species, like the lynx and jackal, could face similar threats.
The European Commission first proposed downgrading the wolf’s protection status from “strictly protected” to “protected” in December 2023. If confirmed by ministers, the EU can then submit a proposal to amend the Bern Convention, which governs the protection status of wildlife. A meeting to address the proposal is set for early December.
The reduced protection status would give EU member states more flexibility in managing wolf populations while maintaining some level of protection. A spokesperson for the European Commission stressed that the changes would apply only to wolves and not other species.
