The EU will lower the conservation status of wolves in 2025

The Council of the European Union has decided to downgrade the status of wolves from "strictly protected" to "protected" in 2025. This was reported by Reuters on December 3 with reference to the document.

"The Council has decided to submit on behalf of the EU a proposal to change the conservation status of wolves from a strictly protected fauna species to a protected fauna species. The proposed amendment will provide greater flexibility in addressing the socio-economic challenges posed by the continued growth of wolves in Europe, while maintaining a favorable conservation status for all wolf populations in the EU," the agency quotes the text of the decision.

It is specified that the decision will enter into force from March 7, 2025. The agency noted that the initiator of the downgrade was the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

"Important news for our rural communities and farmers. We need a balanced approach to conserving wildlife and protecting our livelihoods," she said after voting in favor of the decision.

As Reuters noted, von der Leyen's pony was gnawed by a wolf in 2022, which could have led her to favor a similar initiative. In turn, the International Fund for Animal Welfare reacted negatively to the decision.

Earlier, on September 24, it became known that the head of the European Commission advocated the decision to shoot wolves in Europe. Representatives of 27 countries of the bloc supported the proposal to amend the international convention on wildlife, according to which the status of the species will be downgraded from "strictly protected" to "protected".

In 2022, von der Leyen said her pony named Dolly was mauled by a wolf. According to her spokesman, the pony was in a pasture with another animal at the time of the attack. Later, the Hanover city authorities authorized the shooting of the wolf that mauled the animal.