Parliament voted on Tuesday, by show of hands, to fast-track its work on draft legislation enabling a targeted change of the Habitats Directive. The change would align the EU’s wolf protection status with the Bern Convention, lowering it from ‘strictly protected’ to ‘protected`. MEPs will vote on the substance of the proposal on Thursday.
Next steps
The EU Council of Ministers endorsed the Commission proposal without changes. If MEPs endorse that text on Thursday, the draft rules would only need formal approval by the Council to enter into force.
Background
According to the Commission, there are over 20,000 wolves in Europe, and their populations and ranges are growing. This conservation success story has however led to increasing conflicts with human activities in some regions, in particular concerning livestock.