According to media reports, the EU Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for a revision of the protection status of predators such as the wolf . The resolution is not legally binding.
Resolution passed by a narrow majority
The BUND tweeted before the vote that coexistence of agriculture and the wolf was entirely possible, as EU nature conservation law allowed sufficient flexibility, while a favourable conservation status for the wolf had not yet been achieved.
The resolution was adopted with 306 votes in favour. 255 members of parliament voted against, 25 abstained. The EU Commission is called upon to “immediately develop an assessment procedure that makes it possible to change the protection status of populations in certain regions once the desired conservation status has been achieved”.
The EU Parliament also called for funding to prevent wolf attacks on livestock in agriculture and for compensation payments.
Criticism of the opening up of the Habitats Directive
Thomas Waitz (Greens, Austria) argued that opening up the Habitats Directive would jeopardise nature conservation across Europe. The topic of predators had already been on the agenda of the Agriculture Council in September. EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius stated at the meeting that existing regulations already allowed for exceptions and that sufficient instruments existed to enable livestock farming and the return of endangered wildlife to go hand in hand. However, he also emphasised that this coexistence posed a challenge (EU News 29.09.2022).
Environmental organisations argue — incidentally, often together with livestock farmers — against the weakening of EU nature conservation laws, in favour of herd protection measures and adequate compensation for affected farms.
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