Members of the European Parliament have voted to change the legal status of the wolf under the European Habitats Directive, moving it from “strictly protected species” to “protected species.” The vote tally was 371 in favor, 162 against, and 37 abstentions. The amendment now awaits formal approval from member states, which will have 18 months to update their laws accordingly.
This legislative change aligns the EU’s policies with the revised status of the wolf under the Bern Convention, a 1979 treaty by the Council of Europe that governs the protection of wild species. Interestingly, it was the EU itself that sought this adjustment.
The 1992 European Habitats Directive made wolf extermination illegal, and since then, the wolf population in Europe has nearly doubled, with an estimated 20,000 wolves reported by the European Commission in 2023. The species has notably returned to Flanders since 2018, leading to increased conflicts with livestock farming in various regions.
Belgian MEP Hilde Vautmans (Open VLD) emphasized the concerns of farmers, stating, “Currently, they have no recourse against wolves unless their livestock is killed, which led to 56,000 livestock losses across Europe last year. This requires a laborious compensation process, costing European member states €17 million annually.”
In contrast, the Greens expressed their disappointment. Sara Matthieu (Groen) criticized the decision for contradicting scientific advice and raised alarms about its potential negative effects on ecosystems and biodiversity. She lamented, “After more than a century, the wolf has finally returned to our region, and this success is now at risk. Wolf populations remain fragile and are in urgent need of strict protection.”
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