EU approves reduction of wolf protection but Portugal maintains

BRUSSELS – The Council of the European Union (EU) approved today the reduction of the protection status of wolves, opening the possibility for the species to be hunted again, but Portugal announced that it will maintain the classification of strictly protected.
The approval by the Member States was the final step to conclude the process, and the new status of the wolf (which changes from strictly protected to protected) will come into effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
The new protection status, according to a statement from the Council, will give Member States more flexibility in managing wolf populations.
However, EU countries will still have to ensure a favorable conservation status for the wolf, being able to classify the species as strictly protected in national legislation and apply stricter protection measures.
Portugal, Belgium, Poland, and the Czech Republic have already announced that they will maintain the wolf’s status as a strictly protected species.
The process of reducing the classification of the wolf in the EU was initiated by the European Commission, which environmental organizations accuse of yielding to pressures from farmers and hunters, having requested the annulment of the decision from the EU Court of Justice. (05/06/25)