Conservation groups ask EU to review Austria’s wolf policy

Conservation organisations have filed a complaint with the European Commission over Austria’s treatment of wolves, following the controversial killing of Mirco, an Italian research wolf fitted with a tracking collar, in Tyrol, ORF reported.

The Italian animal protection organisation Io non ho paura del lupo APS, based in Parma, submitted the complaint together with the Austrian Nature Conservation Alliance. It follows an official response from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment on July 14. The Commission did not address the specific case of Mirco but confirmed that several aspects of Austria’s wolf policy were already under review.

The complaint focuses on compliance with Article 14 of the EU Habitats Directive, particularly in light of the high number of wolf killings in Tyrol and Carinthia, as well as the correct use of exemptions under Article 16. It also raises the precautionary principle, the exchange of scientific data on tracked wolves and access to legal remedies in Austria.

The Italian organisation said the complaint was not limited to Mirco’s case but concerned what it described as a recurring administrative practice in Austria. The groups said documents obtained from Austrian authorities through environmental information requests showed what they considered recurring problems, including inadequately justified assessments of individual wolves, a lack of evidence that non lethal alternatives were unavailable and insufficient transparency in assessing the cumulative effects of wolf killings.

The organisations also criticised the handling of GPS data from international scientific projects. They cited Mirco and Andrea, two Italian wolves killed in Tyrol and Carinthia, respectively, as examples of a broader problem rather than isolated cases. The groups said they were not seeking to challenge every individual wolf killing, but wanted clarification on whether Austria’s wolf management system affects the protection of the Alpine wolf population and international scientific cooperation.

Mirco was killed in Tyrol in June. The young wolf wore a satellite collar and was part of a research project coordinated by the Dolomites National Park in the province of Belluno and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Sassari. The project studied the movements of young wolves and their importance for the species’ spread and genetic exchange between populations. His death prompted strong protests from Italian animal protection organisations.