On May 13 and September 11, we sent two letters to the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Environment, Dr. Maria Panayiotou, urging the Republic of Cyprus to reject the European Commission’s proposal to downgrade the strict protection status of wolves in the European Union.
Furthermore, on September 19, we co-signed a joint declaration with hundreds of civil society organisations from all over Europe, demanding the preservation of the strict protection status of the wolf and the strengthening of the policy for the coexistence of the species with EU farmers.
However, most of the EU member states voted in favor and unfortunately gave the “green light” of downgrading the protection status of wolves across Europe. Consequently, the “strict protection” status of the wolf that was in force until now in Europe risks to be downgraded. Despite our disappointment, we consider as positive the fact that Cyprus abstained from the vote.
The issue will be further examined by the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, in which we participate. In this framework, we will continue to advocate for the maintenance of the strict protection status for wolves in Europe.