The Aveyron breeders’ association, Circle 12, which campaigns for better regulation of wolves, notes “that a major step has just been taken” with the validation by the States of the European Union of a “proposal to declassify wolves” .
Very active for years so that European measures to lower the protection of wolves are taken, the breeders’ association Cercle 12 notes, in a press release this Thursday, “that a big step has just been taken. Yesterday (Wednesday September 25, Editor’s note) Member State representatives validated the proposal to delist wolves (made by the European Commission in December 2023). Today EU ministers are voting to forward this proposal to the Berne Convention Committee. There is still a long way to go, the Berne Committee must then vote for the reduction, for this a 2/3 majority of the 50 countries is required, which seems entirely possible. This decision should be made at the beginning of December.”
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Lucid, and great connoisseurs of the issue, of these issues and of the realities on the ground in Aveyron (particularly in Larzac), Cercle 12 notes that “It is then that it becomes complicated, because for the reduction to be effective, it must also be voted within the Habitats Directive. And there we need the unanimity of the 27 European countries (while the decision of today is taken by the majority).”
“Ireland (which has no wolves!) and Spain do not seem ready yet”
“Ireland (which has no wolves!) and Spain do not yet seem ready. But rapid developments are possible, already this Wednesday morning Germany had not planned to vote for, and the finally did. The German breeders, with whom we have been in contact since the gathering we organized in St Jean de Bournay on November 29, 2022, informed us of the pressure they put on for this last minute change. Remember that 12 European countries were present at this gathering.
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Faced with increasing wolf predation, Cercle 12 wants to make itself heard
The fact remains that, as it stands, as Cercle 12 points out, “it’s already a victory in communication. The media are finally reporting the reality of predation: “There are more than 20,000 wolves in Europe”, “attacks are increasing”, “breeders are suffering”, etc… and a victory while 300 so-called environmental associations mobilized to prevent this vote. Fewer and fewer people believe their widely disseminated false information.
“The lowering of protection, when it is effective, will allow real regulation and a review of the wolf plan at the national level.” Circle 12 remembers that in 2019 “the new Minister of Agriculture, Madame Annie Genevard, has spoken out in favor of lowering this protection. Europe is finally lucid and this lowering is one of the main objectives of our fight at Circle 12 in addition to “Supporting breeders who are victims of predation is a first battle won, we must continue to put pressure on to see the process through to the end.”
