Wolf protection downgraded: Bern Convention follows EU proposal

This decision to weaken wolf protection through the EU's initiative is a grave misstep that lacks any scientific foundation, criticises the IG Wild beim Wild.

The Committee of the Bern Convention of the Council of Europe has adopted a EU proposal to change the protection status of the wolf (Canis lupus) from a “strictly protected species” (Appendix II) to a “protected species” (Appendix III). The final decision will be published on Friday, 6 December.

Three-month objection period

The amendment will enter into force in three months unless at least one third of the contracting parties to the Bern Convention of the Council of Europe (17) reject it; in that case it will not enter into force. If fewer than one third of the contracting parties raise an objection, the decision will enter into force only for those contracting parties that have not objected.

The Bern Convention, formally the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, is the Council of Europe's international nature conservation treaty covering the greater part of the natural heritage of the European continent and extending to some African states. It was opened for signature on 19 September 1979 and entered into force on 1 June 1982. It encompasses 50 contracting parties. The governing body of the Bern Convention is the Standing Committee, which is composed of representatives of the contracting parties.

Previous initiatives failed

The proposal by the European Union (EU) is not the first concerning the protection of wolves in Europe. In 2022, Switzerland had made a similar proposal, which was rejected (report, point 5.2chandelier). Proposals were also made for other species. In 2019, Norway proposed changing the protection status of the barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) from Appendix II to Appendix III, which was also rejected (Report, point 4.2). This illustrates how strongly the hunting lobby exerts influence at the European level.

Questions and Answers of the Bern Convention

Dossier: Wolf Switzerland: Facts, Politics and the Limits of Hunting