Coalition Urges EU to Protect Wolves. A large coalition of civil society and animal welfare organizations, including OIPA, is calling on EU Member States to reject the European Commission’s proposal to downgrade wolf protection under the Bern Convention. Instead, the coalition demands increased efforts to promote coexistence with large carnivores, including through preventive measures and safeguarding decades of conservation success.
As EU Member States prepare to decide on the European Commission’s politically motivated proposal, a large coalition of civil society organizations and 300,000 Europeans are calling on the EU to:
- Promote coexistence: Strengthen preventive measures such as the use of fences and sheepdogs, making them more accessible to farmers.
- Enforce protection: Ensure that illegal wolf hunting is eradicated and uphold the EU’s Habitats Directive.
- Raise awareness: Provide science-based education on the ecological and socio-economic benefits of wolves.
- Respect science: Base any changes to wolf protection on rigorous data, not political pressure.
“Media reports indicate significant political pressure on Member States to accept the European Commission’s unscientific and politically motivated proposal,” state the organizers. They emphasize that this is a critical moment for Environment Ministers. “Wolves must remain strictly protected—not just for the sake of the species and science, but for the health of our ecosystems and the credibility of the European Union. If the EU wants to be a trusted ally of nature and a global leader, we must set the right example now.”
Press relase of European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
Read an article on wolf protection of EEB