The European Commission, as reported by Euractiv, has suggested that it may review the high protection status of wolves amid growing tensions surrounding the predator in rural areas. However, this move has been criticized by ecologists as a misguided policy ahead of upcoming elections.

A Real Threat

Wolves and other large carnivores are currently under strict protection under the EU Habitats Directive, which prohibits all forms of deliberate capture or killing of wolves in the wild.

However, farmers and representatives from countries and regions with large populations of carnivores have repeatedly warned that the growing wolf population poses a threat to agriculture and local communities and that their status should be reconsidered.

Emphasizing that the concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become "a real threat to animals and, potentially, humans," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a "new phase" in her relationship with wolves in a statement.

This includes a call for local communities, scientists, and other stakeholders to provide updated data on wolf populations and their impact.

Based on the data collected, the Commission "will decide on a proposal to amend, if necessary, the protection status of the wolf in the EU," the statement said, adding that this may also include an update of the legal framework to "introduce, where necessary, additional flexibility in light of the species' evolution."

"We want to act on the basis of complete data, not the fragmented information we have now," said a Commission spokesperson, adding that opening consultation to a wide range of stakeholders is a "signal we're listening to."

Pony Killed

Meanwhile, von der Leyen, whose pony was killed by a wolf in Germany last year, urged local and national authorities to fully utilize the options currently available.

"I call on local and national authorities to take action where necessary," she said, emphasizing that the current EU legislation "already allows them to do so."

The news will be welcomed by farmer groups, which have long warned that tensions with the growing wolf population in the EU have reached a breaking point.

Following the announcement, von der Leyen's own political family, the center-right European People's Party (EPP), called for a debate for the plenary session starting on September 11 regarding the review of the protection status of wolves and other large carnivores in the EU.

"A legal change is needed now, as Parliament stated in a resolution last year," wrote center-right MEP Herbert Dorfmann on Twitter. "Concrete actions to protect animals and farmers must follow," he added.

The German region of Hanover has issued an official shooting permit for a wolf that killed one of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's ponies, who had earlier stated that the EU executive would reassess the protected status of wolves.

Political Maneuvering?

While some have wondered if this move is a retaliation for the loss of her pony, others see it as a cynical attempt to garner political support in rural areas ahead of next year's EU elections.

"By simply opening an ad-hoc consultation via email for 18 days, it becomes quite evident that von der Leyen is in pre-electoral campaign mode, offering Manfred Weber's [EPP] hand against the EU's Green Deal," environmental lawyer and activist Raphael Weyland told EURACTIV.

Weyland also expressed concern that this move does not adhere to the EU's Better Regulation Law, which ensures transparent and evidence-based European legislation based on the opinions of those who may be affected.

This is because it violates the reasonable 12-week consultation period and also anticipates the consultation's outcome, given that von der Leyen frames wolves as a "danger to animals and humans."

WWF Europe accuses the Commission of putting the cart before the horse.

"It's important to collect data as a basis for political decisions, BUT not to anticipate the outcome!" they wrote on Twitter, noting that there have been no human fatalities related to wolves in this century in Europe, and the risks of attacks are "extremely low."

Likewise, the move is unlikely to please EU environment ministers, 12 of whom recently wrote to EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, stressing the need to maintain the protection status of wolves.

Meanwhile, debates over the protected status of wolves and other predators have once again come to the fore in several EU countries.

In Germany, Green Environment Minister Steffi Lemke said in an interview with Die Welt on Monday that she would submit proposals to facilitate the removal of wolves, a move that comes ahead of regional elections in Bavaria, one of Germany's most populous states, with a significant rural population.

In France, farmers have protested against the protection of bears, citing frequent killings of livestock.