Dear European Commission,  

Following the Commission’s invitation to submit data on wolves, I want to underline facts that clearly show that the growing populations of wolves in Europe and Sweden is a predominantly very positive development. As an apex predator, wolves are important for the functioning of ecosystems and worth a continued strong protection. 

Please let the strict protection of wolves remain. There are several good reasons for that, as listed below.

The damage caused by wolves on domestic animals in Sweden is comparatively low and has stabilized over time. Wolf predation on sheep, the most common damage to domestic animals in Sweden, was limited to 250 sheep in 2022; less than a tenth of a percent yearly. https://www.slu.se/globalassets/ew/org/centrb/vsc/vsc-dokument/vsc-publikationer/rapporter/viltskadestatistikrapporter/viltskadestatistik-2022.pdf 

To conclude, I strongly urge the Commission to take action to protect Europe’s valuable wolves, and not weaken the necessary protection. 

Best regards,

Ulrika Siggelin
Balsta