The European Parliament has approved the downgrading of the wolf from species rigorously protected to simply protected. A decision contested by scientists, environmental associations and citizens, who denounce serious procedural irregularities and the absence of scientific bases. The risk is to nullify decades of protection and worsen the conflict with livestock
A vote that ignores science
On May 8, 2025, the European Parliament approved the shift of the wolf (Canis Lupus) from Annex IV to Annex V of the Habitat directivereducing its status as species “Strictly protected” a “Protected”.
A choice strongly desired by European Commission and supported by the President Ursula von der Leyenalso influenced by personal episodes, such as the alleged killing of his pony by a wolf in 2021.
The wolf: symbol of biodiversity and economic resource
The downgrading compromises the protection of The dog is the Italiana unique subspecies in the world, recovered with difficulty in the last 50 years. Introduced in 1980, the legal protection allowed the development of environmental, tourist and scientific projects, contributing to the sustainable economy in rural areas.
Today there is a risk of destroying this heritage, returning to an anachronistic vision that in the 70s brought the species on the edge of extinction in Italy, with just 100-200 surviving specimens.
The alarm of the associations: “Political choice, non -scientific”
The decision aroused the opposition of The Left and the Greens, the only parliamentary groups to have voted against. The Environment Commission of the EU Parliament has avoided any debate, adopting an urgent procedure without real justifications and in contrast with the principles of transparency and democratic participation.
Associations LNDC Animal Protection e Green Impact denounce a serious backwardness in the protection of biodiversityled by media pressure and zootechnical lobby, rather than scientific evidence. The proposal is based on a technical report created by a private company commissioned by the Commission itself, never validated by independent scientific bodies.
To date, over 700 scientists, including the IUCN and the Large Carnivore Initiative of the biologist Luigi Boitanihave expressed their dissent, highlighting the scientific groundlessness of the measure. Hundreds of environmental organizations also asked for the withdrawal of the proposal, but without result.
Word to associations
«Europe and Italy have chosen policy on science, have chosen fear on reason. We continue to choose the wolf, biodiversity and the future. Together with other associations, we filed an appeal to the European Court of Justice asking for the cancellation of the declaration of the state of protection of the wolf. Appeal to which another 17 associations from all over Europe have been joined by act of intervention and whose outcome will have in a few months, with the desired possibility that today’s decision of the European Parliament is overturned on the basis of scientific data», Green Impact and Lndc Animal Protection declare.
The problems are not solved with the downgrading
Contrary to the dominant narrative, the predation of the wolf represents only 0.07% of the causes of loss in the overput sector. In addition, breeders already receive European funds (PAC) for compensation and prevention, often not effectively applied.
Annex IV, already today, allows selective interventions in exceptional cases; The move to Annex V opens instead to the legal hunt, without guarantees of control.
Daniele Ecottipresident of I’m not afraid of the wolfunderlines how targeted controls are not decisive in the absence of integrated strategies. The downgrading creates false expectations in rural communities, leaving the territories without adequate management tools.
«The wolf, now considered a less priority species at the Community level, will be able to benefit from less financial support, both for the tools for the protection of the farms and for the compensation relating to attacks. This represents potential economic damage for the same farms that are intended to protect “adds Ecotti.