European lawmakers on Thursday backed downgrading the wolf’s conservation status, delivering a political trophy to the Commission president and a loaded rifle to Europe’s farmers.

The proposal amends the European Union Habitats Directive, moving the wolf from the list of “strictly protected” to “protected” species, making it easier for farmers in the EU to shoot wolves that threaten their herds.

It’s a win for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, answering a long-standing demand of conservative lawmakers and fulfilling a campaign promise made during the EU elections last year by her center-right European People’s Party (EPP).

Von der Leyen’s own pony, Dolly, was also famously killed by a wolf back in 2022. It “horribly distressed” her “whole family,” she said in a statement after the attack.

The draft rules — which passed with 371 votes in favor, 162 votes against and 37 abstentions — now only need formal approval by the Council of the EU to enter into force. They would lower the threshold for national authorities to grant derogations to kill animals deemed to pose a threat.

It’s “good news for rural areas and livestock farmers,” said EPP lawmaker and group spokesperson for the environment Peter Liese in a post on X.

‘Sad day for biodiversity’

While hunters and farmers celebrated, environmental groups described a dark day for biodiversity with far-reaching impacts.

Wolf populations are recovering thanks to their strict protection status, rankling farmers who want to protect their livestock. Secretary general of the European Landowners’ Organization, Jurgen Tack, described Thursday’s vote as “clear recognition that conservation policy must evolve alongside ecological realities.”

But the species is still in an unfavorable conservation status in six out of the seven EU biogeographical regions where it is present, according to the latest assessment, covering the period 2013-2018. Conservationists consider the wolf a “keystone species” because of its role as a predator in the food chain and how can alter the behavior of its prey to allow other parts of the ecosystem to thrive. 

“Wolves are vital to healthy ecosystems, but today’s vote treats them as a political problem, not an ecological asset,” said Ilaria Di Silvestre from the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Amendments submitted by the Greens and the Left called on the Parliament to reject the bill, arguing it sets a “dangerous precedent for decision making on conservation issues.” As expected, they didn’t muster the necessary support.

Caught in the crosshairs

For now, the wolf is the only strictly protected species in legislators’ crosshairs, but that could change.

Europe’s brown bear is another strictly protected species whose status is coming under increasing scrutiny, in particular from the Slovakian government.

Some governments, including Austria, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia and Romania, have suggested downgrading other protected species such as bears, lynxes, seals and cormorants.

In a press conference Wednesday, Liese said that while “we need to look at other species” that should face the same treatment as the wolf, like the cormorant, “that is for later, after a careful analysis.”

The directive will enter into force 20 days after being published in the EU Official Journal. EU countries will then have 18 months to comply.