Politics European court strengthens wolf protection in Spain
The highest European court has strengthened the protection of wolves in Spain. If the condition of the animals is poor at a national level, hunting should not simply be allowed in individual regions where wolves are slightly better off.
29.07.2024, 15:25
SDA
An assessment of whether a population is in a good condition must always be carried out "at the level of the biogeographical region or even across borders", the European Court of Justice (ECJ) stated.
As soon as an animal species is in an unfavorable conservation status, the competent authorities must take measures to ensure that the population is doing well in the future. The court also ruled that a regional law allowing wolves to be hunted in a certain region of Spain was in breach of EU law.
In Spain, wolves are subject to different protection regulations: Wolves south of the River Duero in northern Spain are strictly protected. North of the river, a regional law permitted the hunting of the animals in 2019.
