Minister Günther: Wolf protection has not been dropped

Saxony's Environment Minister Wolfram Günther (Greens) warns against misinterpreting an EU decision on the changed protection status for wolves. "The CDU is acting as if it has been possible to shoot wolves en masse since yesterday. That's nonsense," Günther told the German Press Agency. The EU member states had now decided on the first step in a regulated procedure. The EU Commission could now submit an amendment proposal to the Bern Convention for the protection of wolves. The next step would be to adapt the Habitats Directive (Flora-Fauna-Habitat). The EU bodies would then have to deal with the proposal again.

The CDU had rejoiced after the decision on Tuesday, but also pointed out that it is not yet binding. "At last, problem wolves are being dealt with," explained parliamentary group deputy leader Georg-Ludwig von Breitenbuch. "I am delighted that our years of work for the interests of livestock farmers in Saxony have finally had a positive impact and insight in Brussels. The ideological wolf policy of the Greens has failed." Further legal steps must now follow at EU level, so that "a factual and professional population regulation in the interests of livestock farming and the preservation of our cultural landscape is possible in the near future".

Representatives of the EU member states had voted in favor of lowered protection for wolves, with Germany voting in favour. This paved the way in Brussels for a procedure to regulate the wolf population more strictly. Günther saw the decision as proof that protection for the wolf is working. "The population has recovered. Our goal has always been to enable livestock grazing and protect endangered species at the same time. In recent years, we have significantly increased funding for livestock protection." At the same time, there has been a massive commitment to removing wolves when problems arise: "The aim must be to solve real problems and not to shoot wildly around the area, not even with words."