European countries have agreed to downgrade the protection status of wolves due to their growing number and effect on agriculture and farming livestock. The 49 member states of the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats agreed to lower the wolf’s protection status from “strictly protected” to “protected”,

Dozens of countries on Tuesday approved downgrading the protection status of the wolf in Europe, a move activists say will upset the recovery made by the species over the past 10 years after near extinction a century ago.

The Council of Europe is paving the way for tougher action against wolves as their numbers grow steadily in several countries in the bloc. The responsible committee on Tuesday approved a corresponding proposal by the EU member states to lower the creature's protection status.

The European Commission will propose next year relaxing the rules to safeguard the wolf, after an international committee decided to downgrade its protection status. On Tuesday, the standing committee of the Council of Europe’s Bern Convention,

A commission charged with the protection of wildlife in Europe on Tuesday approved lowering the wolf's protection status from "strictly protected" to "protected", the Council of Europe said.

Wolves have made a remarkable comeback in Europe over recent decades, but their resurgence has sparked tension, particularly among farmers. ..|News Track

European nations agreed to reduce protection for wolves, allowing controlled hunting from March 2025. This decision, hailed by farmers but criticized by environmentalists, emerged amid growing tensions between rural communities and wildlife advocates.

The European Union has revised the conservation status of grey wolves, the BBC reports, downgrading their protection and allowing controlled culling. The decision moves grey wolves from Annex II (strictly protected) to Annex III (protected) under the Bern Convention,