Bern Convention

Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats

This complaint concerns the 26/09/2024 decision of the Council of the European Union, based on the European Union proposal to change the protection status of the European grey wolf (Canis lupus) from ‘strictly protected’ (Appendix II) to ‘protected’ (Appendix III) in the framework of the Bern Convention. 

The complainants alleged that such a change would lead to violating the Bern Convention, in particular Article 1, 2, and 9, by undermining its precautionary and proportionality principles, making the wolf a huntable species the killing of which no longer needs publicising, with core habitats losing strict protection. This could result in population decline, fragmentation of core habitats and overall decreased conservation for the species.

According to the complainants, the proposal was not based on reliable scientific facts and requirements and failed to consider ecological and cultural requirements.

From late October 2024 till spring 2025, the Secretariat of the Bern Convention received several hundred complaints on this issue. The initial complainant, Freundeskreis freilebender Wölfe e.V., Germany, has been retained and two co-complainants identified: Convergence Animaux Politique (France) and NABU (Germany).

 Key Timeline

• 2025 - Case registration

 Documents

Complaint form

Regular reports to the Bureau and/or Standing Committee

Please note that all reports received by a Party during one calendar year are included in one single report for that year. Some older reports are not available in digital form.

Other information / documents