Wolves to be easier to shoot in Europe in future
Wolves are to be easier to shoot in Europe in future. On Wednesday, the EU Commission in Brussels proposed lowering the protection status of the wolf in the Bern Convention on the Conservation of Wild Fauna and Flora in Europe from "strictly protected" to "protected". Such a classification is the prerequisite for changes to the protection status of the wolf in European law.
Wolf packs have become a "real threat" to livestock in several regions of Europe, explained Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. With this proposal, the European Union is taking an "important step" towards giving the responsible authorities more freedom in dealing with wolves. Von der Leyen had already called on the EU countries in September to "take measures wherever necessary".
According to a proposal by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens), in Germany it should be possible to shoot a wolf that is within a radius of one kilometer of the bite site for 21 days after a livestock bite. The prerequisite for this is still a shooting permit, as well as "previously defined regions with an increased incidence of predation" and the wolf must have overcome "reasonable herd protection measures".
Under EU law, wolves are currently protected under the Habitats Directive. This directive is based on the agreements of the Bern Convention for the Conservation of Wild Fauna and Flora in Europe and can therefore not be amended on the sole initiative of the EU. All 51 signatories to the Convention, including Turkey and Belarus, must agree to the Commission's proposal.
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The EU Commission's proposal to lower the protection status of wolves from "strictly protected" to "protected" in the Bern Convention could lead to a new classification of wolves under European law, allowing for potential changes in wolf protection policies. This change is seen as an important step towards granting more freedom to authorities in dealing with instances where wolves pose a threat to livestock in Europe.
If the EU countries and the 51 signatories to the Bern Convention agree to the EU Commission's proposal, the protection status of wolves in Europe may shift, potentially leading to a change in wolf management policies that enforce stricter measures against problem wolf packs.
Source: www.ntv.de
