One year after the downgrading: The wolf loses its protection

On December 3, 2024, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention approved the EU proposal to relist the wolf from Annex II («strictly protected») to Annex III («protected»). Three months later, on March 7, 2025, the amendment came into effect. Only three states filed objections: Monaco, Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. Switzerland, which had already undertaken a failed initiative in the same direction in 2022, voted for the downgrading.

On the same day, the EU Commission presented its proposal to amend the Habitats Directive: the wolf should be moved from Annex IV to Annex V. In May 2025, the EU Parliament approved this in an expedited procedure (371 yes, 162 no). NABU criticized the departure from science-based nature conservation. WWF spoke of a 'dangerous precedent' because the Commission had acted without new scientific findings. The implementation deadline for member states is 18 months.

Switzerland: Mass culls under ongoing investigation procedure

Switzerland did not wait for international developments. Already with the revised Hunting Act (JSG) and the Hunting Ordinance (JSV), in force since February 1, 2025, the Federal Council had legalized preventive culling of entire packs. In the regulation period 2024/2025, FOEN approved the culling of around 125 wolves. The cantons killed 92 wolves preventively, i.e. before damage had occurred. Three lynx were accidentally shot in the process (Source: FOEN report, May 27, 2025).

In the ongoing third regulation period (September 2025 to January 2026), 24 wolves were killed in Valais canton alone, including 7 juveniles as part of 'basic regulation'. Valais government councilor Christophe Darbellay openly stated the goal: the number of packs should be reduced from eleven to three (Source: DJFW Valais, February 3, 2026). Nationwide, after the regulation period 2024/2025, 36 packs and around 320 confirmed wolves were counted.

Meanwhile, an investigation procedure under the Bern Convention is ongoing against Switzerland. The Council of Europe committee opened it in December 2024 following complaints by CH-Wolf and Avenir Loup Lynx Jura. The points of criticism: the threshold value of twelve packs as minimum population is arbitrary, the killing of juveniles and entire packs without concrete damage contradicts the convention's objectives. In May 2025, the Bern Convention Bureau again reprimanded FOEN and reminded that night hunting and the use of night vision devices are prohibited under the convention, although the Swiss hunting ordinance permits both (Source: Bern Convention Bureau, May 14, 2025).

Domino effect in Europe: Austria rushes ahead, Germany follows

The downgrading acts as a political accelerator. Lower Austria classified the wolf as huntable game on February 3, 2026. In Germany, the public hearing on amending the Federal Hunting Act took place in the Bundestag on February 23, 2026, which is also intended to include the wolf in hunting law. Simultaneously, Germany reported the wolf's conservation status in the FFH report as 'unknown', which NABU criticizes as 'technically incorrect' since Germany operates one of Europe's best wolf monitoring systems.

ECJ lawsuit and Swedish counter-proposal

Five environmental organizations (Green Impact, Earth, LNDC Animal Protection, One Voice and Nagy Tavak) filed a lawsuit against the downgrading at the Court of the European Union in December 2024. In February 2025, the court confirmed acceptance of the proceedings. Their argument: the decision is politically motivated, scientifically unfounded and violates the principles of species protection. Numerous scientists support this position in an open letter by Green Impact (November 26, 2024).

In Sweden, courts have blocked planned culls of up to 48 wolves for 2026 because the scientific basis was lacking. The EU Commission had previously classified Sweden's target of 170 wolves as 'not fully scientifically founded'. These court decisions show: the legal battle over the wolf is not ended by the downgrading, it has only just begun.

What one year of downgrading means

The assessment after twelve months is clear: the downgrading has not resolved a single conflict, but has created a political license to kill. In Switzerland, livestock attacks have been continuously declining since 2022, which according to the FOEN report is also due to improved herd protection. Nevertheless, culling numbers are increasing.

The IG Wild beim Wild has long demanded the Geneva model: professional wildlife management by state agencies instead of hobby hunting. Geneva has shown since 1974 that coexistence works without militia hunting. As long as wolf policy is shaped by the recreational hunting lobby instead of independent science, the downgrading remains what it was from the beginning: a political gift to those who do not accept the wolf as part of the ecosystem.

Further knowledge on wildbeimwild.com:

→ Dossier: Wolf Switzerland – Facts, Politics and Limits of Hunting → Valais Wolf Assessment 2025/2026: Numbers of a Massacre → Illegal Wolf Hunting in Switzerland → EU Proposal to Weaken Wolf Protection → Sweden Stops Wolf Culls 2026: Signal to Switzerland → FAQ: How Many Wolves Are There in Switzerland? → Template Texts for Hunting-Critical Initiatives → All Dossiers

Sources

• Council of Europe, Press Release March 7, 2025: 'Modification of wolf protection under the Bern Convention enters into force'
• EU Commission, FFH Amendment Proposal, March 7, 2025 (COM/2025/0098)
• EU Parliament, Press Release May 8, 2025: 'Wolves: EU Parliament votes for change in protection status' (371:162:37)
• EU Council, Press Release April 16, 2025: 'Habitats Directive: Council agrees on targeted proposal'
• FOEN, Report 'Wolf Population Regulation', May 27, 2025
• KORA/DJFW Valais, Assessment 2025/2026 of Wolf Regulation, February 3, 2026
• Bern Convention Bureau, Reprimand to FOEN, May 14, 2025
• NABU Lower Saxony, Statement on FFH Report, July 31, 2025
• WWF Germany, Statement 'EU Weakens Wolf Protection', March 7, 2025
• Green Impact et al., ECJ Lawsuit, December 20, 2024

Participation Campaign: Demand from your municipality, due to the catastrophic policy of Federal Councillor Albert Rösti (SVP), a tax exemption request for federal and cantonal taxes due to the recently approved culling of wolves in Switzerland. You can download the template letter here: https://wildbeimwild.com/ein-appell-fuer-eine-veraenderung-in-der-schweiz/