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Wolves: WWF examines actions against shooting regulations

by AI | 26.Jul 2024 | Europe in brief AI

The environmental organization WWF is “currently examining the legal options” to take action against recent approvals for wolf culling in Austria. “The shooting regulations of the federal states are clearly in violation of European law,” says the WWF letter, referring to a recent ECJ ruling that confirmed strict wolf protection in Austria.

Archive image - Before an infringement procedure, if wolves continue to be hunted in Austria, European law experts had warned following the ECJ ruling. . Photo: APA/Hans Klaus Techt

EU-wide/Brussels/Luxembourg – After the Austrian federal states of Tyrol, Salzburg, and Vorarlberg released several wolves for hunting despite a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in early July, which confirmed strict wolf protection in Austria, the environmental organization WWF is “currently examining legal options” to counteract this. This was announced by a spokesperson of the organization in response to an APA inquiry.

“The hunting regulations of the federal states are clearly in violation of European law,” the WWF letter states. “Therefore, it is expected that the European Commission will sooner or later take a look at this practice. Thus, Austria faces a potentially expensive infringement procedure due to the arbitrary actions of the state governments.”

European law experts also warned of an infringement procedure in Austria if wolves continue to be hunted after the ECJ ruling in the APA discussion. However, the EU Commission in Brussels currently sees no urgent need for action on their part. “The Commission has no specific role in evaluating such individual administrative decisions; these are instead made under the control of national judicial authorities – as was the case with the permits that the Tyrolean regional administrative court still has to decide on,” a spokesperson for the EU authority responded in writing to the APA.

The spokesperson refers to the ongoing proceedings before the regional administrative court (LVwG) Tyrol, which involves an older decree for a wolf hunt. The VVwG had approached the ECJ to clarify the situation under EU law and can only now decide on the original case – after the ECJ ruling. (26.07.2024)