“As long as the attacks continue, the fight continues…”: Cercle 12 breeders satisfied with possible lowering of wolf protection in Europe

The gray wolf returned to France via Italy in the early 1990s. Archives

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 downgrade wolves”.

Very active for years in seeking European measures to lower wolf protection, the breeders' association Cercle 12 notes, in a press release this Thursday, “that a major step has just been taken.” Yesterday (Wednesday, September 25, Editor's note) Member State representatives have validated the proposal to downgrade wolves (made by the European Commission in December 2023). Today, EU ministers are voting for this proposal to be forwarded to the Bern Convention Committee. There is still a long way to go, the Bern Committee must then vote for the downgrading, for which a majority of 2/3 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 with great knowledge of the issue, these issues and the realities on the ground in Aveyron (particularly in Larzac), Cercle 12 notes that "it is then that things get complicated, because for the reduction to be effective, it is necessary that it also be voted on within the Habitats Directive. And there, the unanimity of the 27 European countries is required (while today's decision is taken by majority vote)."

"Ireland (which has no wolves!) and Spain do not seem ready yet"

"Ireland (which has no wolves!) and Spain do not seem ready yet. But rapid developments are possible, already this Wednesday morning Germany had not planned to vote for it, and 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 to take place. Let us recall that 12 European countries were present at this gathering."

Read also:Faced with the increase in wolf predation, Cercle 12 wants to make itself heard

The fact remains that, as it stands, as Cercle 12 points out, “this is 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”, “farmers are suffering”, “etc… and a victory when 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 for real regulation and a revision of the wolf plan at the national level." Cercle 12 remembers that in 2019 "the new Minister of Agriculture, Mrs. Annie Genevard, spoke out in favor of lowering this protection. Europe is finally lucid and this lowering is one of the main objectives of our fight at Cercle 12 in addition to support breeders who are victims of predation. This is a first battle won, we must continue to put pressure on to see the process through to the end."