Overview

• The EU formally reclassified wolves from “strictly protected” to “protected” under the Flora-Fauna-Habitat directive, allowing member states to authorize more culls.
• Member states remain obligated to ensure wolf populations stay at a favourable conservation status and may retain stricter national safeguards.
• Germany intends to amend its national law to simplify wolf removal but has not set a date for implementation.
• Germany hosted an estimated 209 wolf packs totalling around 1,600 animals in 2023/24 and recorded 5,727 livestock losses last year.
• Farmers’ associations hailed the shift as essential for protecting herds while animal welfare groups criticized the decision for lacking scientific backing and urged improved non-lethal measures.