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BRUSSELS – The Member States of the European Union (EU) today approved, at the ambassador level, the reduction of the strict protection level of the wolf, proposed by the European Commission, but which still needs international green light.
The proposal passed in the Coreper (where the ambassadors of the 27 to the EU are represented) with a qualified majority, including the favorable vote of Portugal, according to a European source, where the wolf is classified as a strictly protected species, under Law no. 90/88 of August 13 and Decree-Law 54/2016 of August 02.
The EU wants the wolf’s protection level to cease being ‘strict’ and become simple, which facilitates the removal of individuals when the population grows too large, a decision defended by the agricultural sector and contested by environmentalists.
This position still needs to be approved by the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.
The European Commission, which proposed this change in December, reacted by saying, through a spokesperson, that “adapting the protection status will be an important step in addressing the challenges posed by the increasing wolf populations, while maintaining the overall goal of achieving and maintaining a favorable conservation status of the species.” (25/09/24)
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