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Several organisations, including , have voiced serious concern regarding the European Union’s proposal to downlist the wolf under the Bern Convention and the . This move could set a troubling precedent for wildlife conservation policies across Europe.

The EU seeks to reclassify wolves by:

• Moving them from Appendix II (strictly protected) to Appendix III (protected) of the Bern Convention.
• Shifting their status from Annex IV (strict protection) to Annex V (regulated management) of the EU Habitats Directive.

While the LCIE does not oppose downlisting when scientifically justified, this proposal raises critical concerns about its timing, scientific basis, and coherence.

Key concerns raised by LCIE

1. Lack of scientific justification

• The LCIE’s 2022 report, which was cited by the Standing Committee to justify the opposition to downlisting in 2023, is now being cited to justify the proposal, despite no significant changes in wolf populations or threats since then.
• A 2023 report shows only marginal increases in wolf numbers, insufficient to warrant downlisting.

2. Potential conservation risks

• The proposal could undermine wolf populations’ conservation status contrary to existing conservation goals.
• Transboundary cooperation, essential for managing wolves’ large spatial needs, might be compromised.

3. Socio-economic assumptions are misguided

• Claims that downlisting would address socio-economic conflicts, like livestock damage, lack robust evidence.
• Existing management regimes of protected wolf populations already allow interventions for livestock protection and public safety.

4. Precedent for politicised decisions

• Downlisting based on political reasons without scientific support risks setting a dangerous precedent for future wildlife management.

Wolves can play a vital role in European ecosystems, symbolising a conservation success story with their populations recovering to an estimated 23,000. However, their survival depends on science-based management and regional cooperation, not policy shifts driven by political pressures. This discussion aligns with ������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��’s larger vision of a just world that values and conserves nature. Efforts to conserve wolves reflect the broader mission of influencing and assisting societies to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature. 

������ϲʿ�������ֳ�ֱ��’s recommendations

• Decisions on conservation must prioritise sound science over political lobbying
• A standardised, science-based framework for listing decisions is needed to ensure transparency and coherence
• Population-specific management, rather than blanket continental policies, should guide wolf conservation

This premature downlisting proposal risks undoing decades of progress. By upholding principles of fairness, conservation integrity, and sustainability, Europe can continue to safeguard its natural heritage. At times of unprecedented biodiversity loss, coupled with increased land degradation, and growing climate change threats, lowering the conservation status of one of the most important flagship species in Europe with high ecological values could have a major impact on the health of habitats and send a worrying signal on the part of EU decision-makers to the rest of the world.

"Conservation is a result of decision-making that should rely on credible scientific evidence for guidance. In the case of European wolves, the available data do not justify changing their protection status under the Bern Convention," says Luigi Boitani, Chairman of the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe.