In a letter to the House of Representatives, Van der Wal points out that Switzerland, a non-EU member state, will submit a proposal in the Standing Committee of the Bern Habitat Convention to lower the protected status of the wolf by one category. The wolf would be moved from Appendix II (strictly protected species) to Appendix III (protected species – regulation possible).
The densely forested EU countries Finland and Sweden are the only member states known to support the Swiss proposal. Austria will abstain from voting, as it recently – within the current rules – introduced its own regulation allowing the issuance of shooting permits for ‘problem wolves.’ The European Parliament recently urged EU countries to inform their provinces and regions about this already existing option.
The minister calls it ‘a positive sign about nature in the Netherlands, which apparently attracts the wolf. However, I am aware that many people do not perceive it that way and that there is fear among animal keepers and residents about the presence of an increasing number of wolves in the Netherlands.’
Minister Van der Wal says that regardless of the Dutch position, the European Union maintains its stance on the Habitats Directive and the protected status of the wolf. “I do not think it is wise to change the Netherlands’ position within the EU now, ahead of the societal dialogue that the RDA will organize and the advice that the RDA will provide. Hence the choice to conduct the discussion about the protected status carefully at this time,” says the minister.
If the RDA’s advice shows that reconsidering the Dutch position is justified, the minister will revisit the matter. Earlier last week, she already indicated that the new interprovincial wolf plan currently in preparation is expected to be definitively adopted within the next six months.
Van der Wal also wants to look ‘on a larger scale’ at a broader European approach to the wolf population. Therefore, contact has already been established with the German authorities, and further cooperation with Belgium, Luxembourg, and Denmark is possible.