On 26 September 2024, the Council of Europe adopted a decision to propose a change in the conservation status of the wolf from "strictly protected" to "protected".

The proposed change will provide greater flexibility to address the socio-economic challenges posed by the continued expansion of the wolf's range in Europe, while maintaining a favourable conservation status for the wolf population across the EU.

The wolf is currently listed as a strictly protected species (Annex II of the Bern Convention) and Parties to the Convention are obliged to take measures to conserve them. The wolf population has almost doubled in recent decades (from 11,193 (2012) to 20,300 (2023)), which has created social and economic challenges, in particular in terms of damage to domestic livestock. According to the latest figures, wolves kill at least 65 500 domestic animals in the EU every year.

The proposed amendment would transfer the wolf to the list of protected species (Annex III of the Bern Convention), and the protection of this species should be ensured by effective management and conservation methods that are consistent with scientific and ecological requirements.

The European Commission will submit a proposal to the Secretariat of the Bern Convention. Any amendment to the Convention should be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the signatory countries. Amendments to the annexes will enter into force three months after their adoption.

Amending the Bern Convention's Appendices will allow the EU to update the relevant Appendices of the Habitats Directive to adapt the level of protection for wolves in its own legal framework.

The Bern Convention, adopted in 1979 and entered into force in 1982, is an international treaty for the conservation of wild plant and animal species and their natural habitats. It establishes legal obligations for the conservation of 500 species of wild plants and more than 1000 species of wild animals. The Convention is decided by the Standing Committee, which meets annually in Strasbourg. The EU and its Member States are Parties to the Convention.