David McAllister MEP: On wolves and other large carnivores

The EPP Group is calling for a revision of the protection status of wolves and other large carnivores like lynxes and bears as the growing numbers of these carnivores in some European regions has become a real threat to livestock and, potentially, also for humans. Such a revision should be based on a scientific reassessment of their populations, which the European Parliament already called for in its November 2022 Resolution initiated by the EPP Group.

We want concrete actions to protect farmers and livestock. Current measures to protect livestock and herds, such as fences and dogs, are insufficient for European farmers.

The European Commission must provide funding for preventive measures and also adequate compensation for farmers to ensure the coexistence of large carnivores and sustainable livestock farming practices. We want to ensure wolves and other large carnivores can live in harmony with our societies and traditional pastoral farming.

Since the European Union Habitats Directive was ratified thirty years ago in 1992, the grey wolf population has significantly grown and wolves have spread to new areas. In Germany, the number of wolves increased exponentially between 2000 and 2015 with an annual increase of about 36%.

In France, almost 12,000 livestock animals were killed by wolves in 2020. In Austria, the number was 680, an increase of 230%. The number of livestock killed in Germany amounted to 3,959, in the Czech Republic 616, in Belgium 139, in Finland 968 and in Sweden 341.

In Romania, where the bear population is the largest in Europe, the rate of bear attacks tripled between 2017 and 2019 with more than 100 people injured.