Latest news with #HerbertDorfmann
Agriland
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Agriland
European Parliament changes protection status of wolves
The European Parliament has changed the EU's wolf protection status from 'strictly protected' to 'protected', to align it with the Bern Convention. With 371 votes for, 162 against and 37 abstentions, the parliament supported the European Commission's proposal for a targeted change of the Habitats Directive. The commission's proposal to alter the protection status of wolves in the EU came following a push from parliament for it. Member states will now have greater flexibility in managing their wolf populations to improve coexistence with humans and to minimise the impact of a growing wolf population in the EU. They will also be better able to take measures that are adapted to particular regional circumstances, according to the parliament. Among those in the parliament who voted for the change in status are MEPs who are members of the European People's Party grouping, which includes Irish Fine Gael MEPs. EPP group spokesman in the parliament's Agriculture Committee, Herbert Dorfmann MEP said: 'Farmers can now breathe a sigh of relief. We have listened to their concerns and delivered real change at the European level to address today's reality and protect rural livelihoods. 'The Habitats Directive has been a clear success, helping the wolf population recover from near extinction to over 20,000 individuals across the continent. 'But now it's time to adapt to today's reality. This means balancing our conservation efforts with protecting farmers,' Dorfmann added. Protection status of wolves Member states must continue to ensure the wolf's favourable conservation status and may continue to list the wolf as a strictly protected species in national legislation, and to have stricter measures in place for its protection. The European Parliament agreed on Tuesday (May 6) to deal with the file under its urgent procedure, effectively 'fast-tracking' it. To enter into force, the draft law now requires formal approval by the European Council, which endorsed the same text on April 16, 2025. The directive will enter into force 20 days after it has been published in the EU Official Journal. Member states will then have 18 months to comply. According to the commission, there are over 20,000 wolves in Europe, and their populations and ranges are growing. This conservation success story has however led to increasing conflicts with human activities in some regions, in particular concerning livestock, it added. Previously, president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has said that the comeback of wolves is good news for biodiversity in Europe, but the concentration of wolf packs in some regions has become 'a real danger especially for livestock'.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
European Parliament votes to lower protections on wolves
BARCELONA (AP) — Lawmakers in Europe voted Thursday to downgrade protections for wolves across the European Union's 27 states in a victory for farmers over environmentalists. Nearly two-thirds of the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, France voted to change wolves' status from 'strictly protected' to 'protected' in a vote of 371 to 162, with 37 abstentions. Centrist and right-wing groups celebrated the vote. 'Farmers can now breathe a sigh of relief," said Herbert Dorfmann, a spokesperson for the European People's Party, a coalition of center-right groups in the EU. Right-wing Dutch politician Sander Smit said on Twitter: 'This is fantastic news." Environmental groups criticized the decision as politically motivated rather than scientifically grounded. 'This is a sad day for biodiversity and wild animals,' said Léa Badoz at the Eurogroup for Animals. Joanna Swabe, a spokesperson for Humane World for Animals, called for individual governments to increase national protection for wolves. Politician Jutta Paulus from the parliament's Greens party said the campaign to reduce the wolves' protection 'borrows from the Donald Trump playbook' and 'ignores scientific evidence and attacks legislation which has been proven to work for decades for no clear gain other than the scoring of cheap populistic points." Tuesday's vote was the final real hurdle before the measure becomes EU law. The change to the central Habitats Directive law will now likely be passed swiftly by the European Council and enter into force across the 27 member states. Once deemed necessary to combat threats to the apex predator, restrictions on hunting wolves have over the past few years lost public support as many EU environmental rules and regulations have come under pressure in recent years. Populist and extreme-right parties have criticized the measures as being thought up by urban elites with little knowledge of rural life. Farmers in many member states have been increasingly angered by attacks on livestock by packs of wolves that have thrived in woods and fields close to agricultural land. The political movement to ease rules on killing wolves was given top-level support by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. An ardent fan of horses, von der Leyen had a pony Dolly that was killed by a wolf three years ago. Last year, more than 50 European nations from Turkey to Iceland voted to change the biodiversity treaty known as the Bern Convention to curtail protections for wolves. Experts and environmental groups estimate there could be up to 19,000 wolves across Europe, with large populations thought to roam in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain. After nearly being wiped out in the 20th century, their numbers are estimated to have grown by at least 25% over the last decade. Programs around the world to protect wolves have been shown to benefit local ecosystems. Yellowstone National Park in the United States said reintroducing wolves in 1995 had led to a better regulated food chain that helped drive a bump in forest cover and animal populations. Yet American states like Wyoming and Montana have passed similar bills allowing for more killing of wolves, driven as in Europe by politics mixing agitated farmers and safety concerns. 'Wolves are vital to healthy ecosystems, but today's vote treats them as a political problem, not an ecological asset', said Ilaria Di Silvestre, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Europe at International Fund for Animal Welfare. 'The EU was once proud to lead on nature protection. Now we are seeing vital species like the wolf sacrificed for short-term political interests that will benefit no one.'
Al Etihad
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Etihad
EU to make hunting wolves easier in Europe
8 May 2025 17:34 BRUSSELS (REUTERS)The European Parliament approved plans on Thursday to make it easier to hunt wolves in the EU, citing their growing numbers and the threat they pose to livestock as reasons for downgrading the animals' protection changes - which European Union member states already approved last month - will lower wolves' status in EU law to "protected" from "strictly protected", reflecting a change under the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural practice, it will mean EU countries can allow wolf hunting, but they must still take steps to stop the animals becoming endangered, such as by limiting hunting 1979, the Bern Convention had protected wolves from being deliberately hunted or captured unless they posed a serious threat to livestock or health."Farmers can now breathe a sigh of relief," said lawmaker Herbert Dorfmann of the centre-right European People's Party."It's time to adapt to today's reality. This means balancing our conservation efforts with protecting farmers," he and some EU lawmakers have accused European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, whose own pony was killed by a wolf in 2022, of having a personal motivation for targeting wolves."This does not help livestock farmers and harms forestry and nature," said Green EU lawmaker Jutta Paulus. Wolves can support forest ecosystems, for example, by keeping game populations under Commission, which made the proposal to change the wolf's status under EU law, said it was based on an in-depth analysis and reasoning including the fact that wolf populations are increasing across the EU, with around 20,300 animals present in 2023 - which has led to increased damage to EU had opposed a previous proposal by non-member Switzerland in 2022 to downgrade wolves' protected status under the Bern European Parliament approved the proposal on Thursday with 371 votes in favour, 162 against, and 37 abstentions. EU countries must give their final approval to the changes, a vote that is a formality and expected to pass.
08-05-2025
- Politics
European Parliament votes to lower protections on wolves
BARCELONA -- Lawmakers in Europe voted Thursday to downgrade protections for wolves across the European Union's 27 states in a victory for farmers over environmentalists. Nearly two-thirds of the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, France voted to change wolves' status from 'strictly protected' to 'protected' in a vote of 371 to 162, with 37 abstentions. Centrist and right-wing groups celebrated the vote. 'Farmers can now breathe a sigh of relief," said Herbert Dorfmann, a spokesperson for the European People's Party, a coalition of center-right groups in the EU. Right-wing Dutch politician Sander Smit said on Twitter: 'This is fantastic news." Environmental groups criticized the decision as politically motivated rather than scientifically grounded. 'This is a sad day for biodiversity and wild animals,' said Léa Badoz at the Eurogroup for Animals. Joanna Swabe, a spokesperson for Humane World for Animals, called for individual governments to increase national protection for wolves. Politician Jutta Paulus from the parliament's Greens party said the campaign to reduce the wolves' protection 'borrows from the Donald Trump playbook' and 'ignores scientific evidence and attacks legislation which has been proven to work for decades for no clear gain other than the scoring of cheap populistic points." Tuesday's vote was the final real hurdle before the measure becomes EU law. The change to the central Habitats Directive law will now likely be passed swiftly by the European Council and enter into force across the 27 member states. Once deemed necessary to combat threats to the apex predator, restrictions on hunting wolves have over the past few years lost public support as many EU environmental rules and regulations have come under pressure in recent years. Populist and extreme-right parties have criticized the measures as being thought up by urban elites with little knowledge of rural life. Farmers in many member states have been increasingly angered by attacks on livestock by packs of wolves that have thrived in woods and fields close to agricultural land. The political movement to ease rules on killing wolves was given top-level support by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. An ardent fan of horses, von der Leyen had a pony Dolly that was killed by a wolf three years ago. Last year, more than 50 European nations from Turkey to Iceland voted to change the biodiversity treaty known as the Bern Convention to curtail protections for wolves. Experts and environmental groups estimate there could be up to 19,000 wolves across Europe, with large populations thought to roam in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain. After nearly being wiped out in the 20th century, their numbers are estimated to have grown by at least 25% over the last decade. Programs around the world to protect wolves have been shown to benefit local ecosystems. Yellowstone National Park in the United States said reintroducing wolves in 1995 had led to a better regulated food chain that helped drive a bump in forest cover and animal populations. Yet American states like Wyoming and Montana have passed similar bills allowing for more killing of wolves, driven as in Europe by politics mixing agitated farmers and safety concerns. 'Wolves are vital to healthy ecosystems, but today's vote treats them as a political problem, not an ecological asset', said Ilaria Di Silvestre, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Europe at International Fund for Animal Welfare. 'The EU was once proud to lead on nature protection. Now we are seeing vital species like the wolf sacrificed for short-term political interests that will benefit no one.'
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
European Parliament votes to lower protections on wolves
BARCELONA (AP) — Lawmakers in Europe voted Thursday to downgrade protections for wolves across the European Union's 27 states in a victory for farmers over environmentalists. Nearly two-thirds of the European Parliament meeting in Strasbourg, France voted to change wolves' status from 'strictly protected' to 'protected' in a vote of 371 to 162, with 37 abstentions. Centrist and right-wing groups celebrated the vote. 'Farmers can now breathe a sigh of relief,' said Herbert Dorfmann, a spokesperson for the European People's Party, a coalition of center-right groups in the EU. Right-wing Dutch politician Sander Smit said on Twitter: 'This is fantastic news.' Environmental groups criticized the decision as politically motivated rather than scientifically grounded. 'This is a sad day for biodiversity and wild animals,' said Léa Badoz at the Eurogroup for Animals. Joanna Swabe, a spokesperson for Humane World for Animals, called for individual governments to increase national protection for wolves. Politician Jutta Paulus from the parliament's Greens party said the campaign to reduce the wolves' protection 'borrows from the Donald Trump playbook' and 'ignores scientific evidence and attacks legislation which has been proven to work for decades for no clear gain other than the scoring of cheap populistic points.' Tuesday's vote was the final real hurdle before the measure becomes EU law. The change to the central Habitats Directive law will now likely be passed swiftly by the European Council and enter into force across the 27 member states. Once deemed necessary to combat threats to the apex predator, restrictions on hunting wolves have over the past few years lost public support as many EU environmental rules and regulations have come under pressure in recent years. Populist and extreme-right parties have criticized the measures as being thought up by urban elites with little knowledge of rural life. Farmers in many member states have been increasingly angered by attacks on livestock by packs of wolves that have thrived in woods and fields close to agricultural land. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The political movement to ease rules on killing wolves was given top-level support by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. An ardent fan of horses, von der Leyen had a pony Dolly that was killed by a wolf three years ago. Last year, more than 50 European nations from Turkey to Iceland voted to change the biodiversity treaty known as the Bern Convention to curtail protections for wolves. Experts and environmental groups estimate there could be up to 19,000 wolves across Europe, with large populations thought to roam in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania and Spain. After nearly being wiped out in the 20th century, their numbers are estimated to have grown by at least 25% over the last decade. Programs around the world to protect wolves have been shown to benefit local ecosystems. Yellowstone National Park in the United States said reintroducing wolves in 1995 had led to a better regulated food chain that helped drive a bump in forest cover and animal populations. Yet American states like Wyoming and Montana have passed similar bills allowing for more killing of wolves, driven as in Europe by politics mixing agitated farmers and safety concerns. 'Wolves are vital to healthy ecosystems, but today's vote treats them as a political problem, not an ecological asset', said Ilaria Di Silvestre, Director of Policy and Advocacy for Europe at International Fund for Animal Welfare. 'The EU was once proud to lead on nature protection. Now we are seeing vital species like the wolf sacrificed for short-term political interests that will benefit no one.'
