20 Environmental Organizations are calling on the Greek government to reject the proposal to downgrade the protection status of the wolf that is being discussed in the near future in the Council of Ministers of the Environment.

With their statement they request that it be drawn up with an ambitious and scientifically based approach to the conservation of species and ecosystems in the EU and our country.

As the Environmental Organizations emphasize in their letter to the Minister of the Environment and Energy Theodoros Skylakakis, which is communicated to the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, any downgrading of the legal protection of the wolf is contrary to the strong support from public opinion, but also to the scientific evidence that favors wolf conservation in Europe. “The European Commission’s proposal seriously risks setting a precedent for other species and opening the door to further changes in EU nature legislation,” it said.

At the same time, they call on the leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Energy to immediately set a meeting between the minister and the representatives of the Organizations, in order to give them the opportunity to develop their views on the matter, before the day when the Council of Ministers of the EU will meet, which will receive relevant decision.

“The protection of wolves in Europe and Greece is not only a matter of ecological importance, but also a reflection of our commitment to the preservation of biodiversity and the values ​​of coexistence and tolerance” note the Environmental Organizations, pointing out that wolves are an integral part of of Europe’s natural heritage, playing a vital role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems and biodiversity, and the return of the wolf to parts of both Greece and Europe where the species had previously disappeared is an important conservation success that should not be jeopardized.

In the context of the initiatives to maintain the protection status of the wolf, the Environmental Organizations, in addition to their letter to the Greek government, co-sign a corresponding letter from international Environmental Organizations and invite citizens to participate in the relevant online signature collection campaign through the Avaaz platform.

The co-signatory Environmental Organizations:

1. ANIMA

2. ARION

3. ARCTURUS

4. ARCHELON

5. Action for Wildlife

6. Hellenic Ornithological Society

7. Hellenic Society for Environment and Culture

8. Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature

9. Greek Network “Friends of Nature”

10. Biodiversity Protection Society of Thrace

11. Prespa Protection Company

12. KALLISTO, Environmental Organization for Wildlife and Nature

13. Ecological Recycling Company

14. i-Sea

15. Greenpeace

16. MEDASSET

17. MEDINA

18. Mom

19. The Green Tank

20. WWF Greece”.