President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission has urged EU countries and their regional authorities to take action where necessary against wolf nuisance. She says that current EU legislation already allows them to do so.
The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has, according to her, 'become a real danger' to livestock and possibly also to people.
The European Commission has also launched a new investigation into a possible amendment of the wolf’s protected status, 'to introduce more flexibility where needed, in light of the evolution of this species,' Brussels announced.
Because earlier research has not yet provided conclusive evidence, the European Commission has now (effective immediately) started a new supplementary inventory, calling on 'local communities, scientists, and all interested parties to submit up-to-date data about the wolf population and its impact before 22 September 2023.'
The return of the wolf to EU regions where it has long been absent increasingly causes conflicts with local farming and hunting communities, especially where measures to prevent attacks on livestock are not widely implemented, according to an EU press release.
Significant EU funding is available for these measures, as described in a joint letter from Commissioners SinkeviÄŤius and Wojciechowski to all EU Ministers of Agriculture and Environment in November 2021.
The Commission states it is aware that the return of the wolf to EU regions where it has long been absent can lead to conflicts with local farming and hunting communities, especially where measures to prevent attacks on livestock are not widely applied.
Moreover, EU countries can derogate from the prohibitions of the strict protection regime under the Habitats Directive, including to protect socio-economic interests, the Commission added.