The Council of Europe is paving the way for tougher action against wolves as their numbers steadily grow in several countries in the bloc.
The responsible committee on Tuesday approved a corresponding proposal from EU member states to downgrade the creature’s protection status.
However, EU law still needs to be amended before this can apply in some Member States, including Germany.
According to EU figures, the number of wolves in Europe has almost doubled within ten years. The number of farm animals, mainly sheep and goats, killed by wolves in the EU is estimated at at least 65,500 per year.
The Council of Europe is independent of the EU. The 50 members include EU member states as well as countries such as Great Britain and Turkey.
The body is responsible for guaranteeing human rights, but is also responsible for ensuring compliance with the Berne Convention, an international treaty adopted in 1979 for the protection of wild animals and plants.
In this treaty, the wolf was previously considered ‘strictly protected’. This means that states must take measures to conserve the wolf and that the animals must not be killed deliberately.
After a long discussion, EU member states submitted an application in September to downgrade the wolf’s status to ‘protected’.
While this still involved strict regulations, it would make it easier to hunt problematic wolves under certain circumstances.
In Germany, the government changed its position as the wolf population recovered in recent years, leading to an increase in the number of animals killed, such as sheep and cattle. Defense mechanisms such as high fences are repeatedly overcome by wolves.
According to the conservation organization WWF, the wolf was exterminated in Western Europe in the mid-19th century. It survived only in Eastern and Southern Europe. However, populations have been recovering for several years.
The Council of Europe amendment will enter into force three months after its adoption, unless one-third of the contracting parties object.
