The return of the wolf to EU regions where it has been absent for a long time is increasingly leading to conflicts with local farming and hunting communities, especially where measures to prevent attacks on livestock are not widely implemented. 

“The concentration of wolf packs in some European regions has become a real danger for livestock and potentially also for humans," said president Ursula von der Leyen. "I urge local and national authorities to take action where necessary. Indeed, current EU legislation already enables them to do so."

The Commission, last month, launched a new phase in its work to address the challenges related to the return of wolves, and invited local communities, scientists and all interested parties to submit up-to-date data on wolf population and their impacts. 

On the basis of the data collected, the Commission will then decide on a proposal to modify, where appropriate, the status of protection of the wolf within the EU and to update the legal framework, to introduce, where necessary, further flexibility, in the light of the evolution of this species. That review is forthcoming.