EU countries to weaken protected status of wolves

Safeguards to protect wolves in the European Union could be weakened in future after member states agreed on Wednesday on the first steps towards easing these measures, reported dpa.

Weakening the protection of wolves aims to facilitate the culling of those deemed a threat to livestock.

Until now, wolves have been highly protected in Europe. In some regions, however, people question whether the status quo is still justified as the number of wolves is growing.

The wolf's protection in the EU is tied to the 1979 Bern Convention, the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.

EU ambassadors in Brussels agreed to propose a change to the body in charge of the wildlife protection treaty, EU diplomats told dpa. Germany voted for the change, which means a change in the government's stance on wolf protection.

Amending the Bern Convention is a first step which could pave the way for the European Commission to propose EU legislation to change the protected status of the wolf at a later stage.

The wolf's comeback in Europe is highly controversial.

Currently, wolves receive strict protection status under EU law with provisions allowing for local authorities to take action, including shooting wolves in case of conflicts with rural communities and farmers.

While some EU countries, including Germany and France, are in favour of easier cullings, nature conservation groups campaign for different approaches, like better herd surveillance, night confinement and more guard dogs.

Having been extinct in large parts of Europe until the 1960s, there are currently around 19,000 wolves in the EU, according to conservationists.