European Union wants to lower the protected status of the wolf
Published: Thursday, Sep 26th 2024, 15:40
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The member states of the European Union want to relax the protection status of the wolf. To this end, the Council of the EU requested an amendment to the Bern Convention of the Council of Europe on Thursday. Switzerland has also called for a relaxation several times in recent years.
The European Commission will now be tasked with lowering the protection status of the wolf from "strictly protected" to "protected" at the Secretariat of the Bern Convention, as the Council of the European Union announced on Thursday.
The Bern Convention is an international treaty of the Council of Europe that regulates the conservation of European wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats. The Council of Europe is an organization independent of the European Union (EU).
The proposed amendment offers more flexibility in dealing with the challenges posed by the spread of the wolf, the report continued. At the same time, a favorable conservation status for wolf populations in the EU would be ensured.
Adjustment requires two-thirds majority
In order to adjust the protection status of the wolf, a two-thirds majority of the contracting parties is required, as a spokesperson for the Council of Europe told the Keystone-SDA news agency. As there are 50 parties to the Bern Convention, 34 parties would have to agree to the reduction.
It is likely that the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention will deal with it at its 44th session from December 2 to 6 in Strasbourg, the spokesman added. The amendment would enter into force three months after its adoption by the committee, unless one third of the contracting parties raised objections.
Switzerland is a member of the Council of Europe and has ratified the convention. Over the past twenty years, the Federal Council has proposed several times to downgrade the protection status of the wolf. So far, the wolf has remained on the list of "strictly protected" animals.
©Keystone/SDA
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