Austria makes wolf an issue at the ministerial meeting
Austria puts the wolf on the EU agenda. At the meeting of EU agriculture ministers on Monday in Brussels, department head Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP), with the support of six other EU countries, will call on the EU Commission to review a legal framework that, among other things, places wolves under strict protection.
The EU’s Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (FFH) is 30 years old. “At that time there were no wolves in Austria,” Totschnig criticized in advance.
Totschnig: “Wolf knows no national borders”
“Meanwhile, the wolf is threatening our local alpine, agricultural and tourism industries,” said the Minister of Agriculture according to the statement. According to the Austria Center Bär Wolf Lynx, 31 wolf individuals were detected in this country this year – and the trend is rising. A total of 489 sheep and goats and one cow were killed. In Europe, the number of wolves is estimated at 17,000.
Totschnig insists on a European solution: “The wolf knows no national borders.” There should be a “European-wide uniform, comprehensive and systematic monitoring of the predators”. In addition, the seven EU countries are demanding additional EU funds, including for herd protection measures or a compensation system for farmers. Supporting Member States are Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Romania and Slovakia.