Por Redaccion 
According to the PP, when the European Directive is adopted, wolf hunting will also be allowed in Spain south of the Duero River.
The European Union Member States have approved on Wednesday to lower the protection status of the wolf, a step that will grant them more flexibility in managing local populations while still keeping it as a protected species.
Thus, the 27 countries agree to the Commission’s proposal to adapt the EU rules to the lowered protection status of the wolf achieved in December and enforced on March 7, within the framework of the Bern Convention of the Council of Europe.
SPAIN ABSTAINS
The decision was made without the support of Spain, Poland, and Belgium, who chose to abstain, confirmed European sources to Europa Press. With this choice, Member States will have more leeway to manage their local wolf populations, «in order to improve coexistence and minimize the impact of the growing population of the species, including socio-economic challenges,» the Council stated regarding the adopted proposal.
In any case, the wolf will remain a protected species, and the conservation and management measures of the Member States must achieve and maintain a favorable conservation status. Furthermore, Member States will still have the option to maintain a higher level of wolf protection if deemed necessary by national legislation.
Additionally, the EU will continue to finance and support coexistence and prevention measures, and state aid to compensate affected farmers will, in principle, remain in place.
Now, only the approval of the European Parliament is pending, which is expected to agree on its position in May. If their stance aligns with the Council’s mandate, the modification directive will then be formally adopted.
WOLVES SOUTH OF THE DUERO TO BE REMOVED FROM LESPRE UPON DIRECTIVE MODIFICATION
The Congress gave the green light on March 20 to a Senate amendment included in the Food Waste Law project to deprotect wolves north of the Duero. This protection downgrade came into effect on April 4, following its publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
Sources from the PP informed Europa Press that once the Habitats Directive is modified and it is determined that the legal regime of the wolf is one of simple protection throughout the European Union (EU), the Transitory Provision approved in the Senate by the ‘popular’ amendment would be applied. With this, wolf populations south of the Duero would also be automatically excluded from LESPRE, and a simple protection regime would apply throughout Spain.