Dear European Commission,  

Thank you for the work You all are doing - where I myself can not do any work. I’m deeply concerned about the future of the wolves in Sweden and surrounding countryside including where ever they have their natural habitat. Im glad that you ask for others opinion and here comes mine. 

Europe’s fragile wolf population needs active protection measures from the Commission’s side. The Commission has hitherto been an important guardian of the Union’s nature and returning carnivore populations. A weakening of the wolves’ legal protection at this point could undo years of conservation work and set a harmful example.  Although I need other experts to provide correct facts. 

I urge the Commission to strive for maintaining a strict protection of wolves, strengthen supervision and take active measures against Member States that don’t observe the rules in the Habitats Directive. 

Due to decisions on hunting allowances from Swedish authorities, illegal hunting, accidents and natural mortality, the Swedish wolf population was estimated to have drastically decreased to 368 wolfs in the autumn of 2023, by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences: https://www.slu.se/globalassets/ew/org/centrb/vsc/vsc-dokument/vsc-publikationer/andren-et-al-2023-berakningar-av-jaktuttag-varg-2024.pdf 

Wolves contribute to a well-functioning ecosystem and non-Swedish academic experts in a governmental panel found that the Swedish wolf population should reach 600 wolves to fulfil the criteria of ecological viability (see ‘Joint Statement’). Despite this, the Swedish Environment Protection Agency used this statement as the scientific foundation for a Favourable Reference Population of only 300 wolves: https://www.naturvardsverket.se/globalassets/amnen/jakt-vilt/bilder/ru-utreda-gynnsam-bevarandestatus-varg.pdf 

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

From my nature and eco heart to Yours

Pia Rullander
Linköping Sweden