Following recent consultations regarding wolves in Europe, FACE has sent an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for action. The letter commends U. von der Leyen's initiative to launch consultations (in September) to gather the latest data and information on wolf populations and their impact, and urges action to be taken as soon as possible in planning and determining further measures. As President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has the capacity and authority to take this matter forward.
The letter, on behalf of FACE members, has been signed by FACE President Torbjörn Larsson (Torbjörn Larsson). FACE represents 7 million hunters in Europe. He calls on the EC President to ensure: swift action to establish practical management systems for coexistence.
Letter
Wolves in Europe – a way forward for the future of rural communities and nature conservation
Dear Madam President,
I am writing to you as President of FACE (the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation), representing 7 million hunters in Europe. I would like to express my appreciation to the European Commission for its work in initiating consultations this September and gathering the latest data on wolf populations and their impact. This is an important step in accordance with the requirements expressed by the European Parliament in this regard.
The large number of responses received during the consultation confirms the serious impact of wolves on rural communities. We believe that the majority of respondents participated in the consultations because they felt that their views had not been heard until now; it is quite possible that this is the very reason why more than 90% of the responses were received.
We now urge you to move quickly to the next step to practically ensure the implementation of appropriate management frameworks for coexistence. Successful management systems are still in conflict with the interpretation of strict protection provided for in the Habitats Directive, compounded by uncertainties and difficulties in applying flexibility.
We hope that practical solutions will be found and that some of them will be implemented well before the next European Parliament elections. We believe that the EU needs a Large Carnivore Act in order to:
1. Amend the annexes to the Habitats Directive;
2. Clarify the flexibility (application) of the EU guidelines on strict protection so that the document reflects the principles of strict protection and gives real meaning to your recent statements, in particular the statement on Wolves in Europe of 4 September 2023;
3. Introduce a new approach to assessing the conservation status of wolves in line with transboundary ecology.
We are at your disposal should you require any further information.
https://www.zemeunvalsts.lv/documents/view/d254c8a084d4545bd80577481aa03076/FACE+Official+Letter+Wolves+in+Europe+14.11.23.pdf
https://www.face.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/FACE_Official-Letter_-14.11.23.pdf