Spain's regions force pro-hunting wolf report to Brussels, overriding government protests

The vote and its political divide

The Conference on the Environment brought two rival reports to the table on 22 June: one drafted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition (Miteco) that deemed the wolf's conservation status “unfavorable” and required continued protection, and an alternative promoted by Galicia and backed by most PP-governed regions that labelled it “favorable,” thereby opening the door to hunting and population control. In a roll-call vote, 16 regional governments supported the Galicia document, while the ministry and Catalonia voted against it; the Basque Country and Castile-La Mancha abstained.

“The autonomous communities have already done our technical and scientific work; now it is the ministry's obligation to send the approved report to Europe.”

Data behind the disputed status

The Galicia report, originally approved by the State Commission nearly a year earlier, records 333 wolf packs across Spain during the 2019–2024 sexennial period, a 12% increase from the previous count of 297. Livestock damage figures add urgency for rural communities: in Castile and León alone, 4,474 wolf attacks in 2025 killed 6,294 head of livestock and injured another 585, with compensation exceeding €4 million.

EU obligations and infringement threat

Under the Habitats Directive, every EU member state must submit a sexennial report on protected species; Spain’s report was due by 31 July 2025. The ministry’s refusal to forward the earlier regional document led to an infringement procedure opened by the European Commission. Regional ministers accused Miteco of deliberate delays.

“It is unjustifiable that a document supported by the technical work of the autonomous communities and approved a year ago has remained blocked all this time.”

Reactions and next steps

Miteco argued the Galicia proposal “does not meet the methodological and reporting criteria established by the European Commission” and must still be reviewed. However, the majority vote compels the ministry to send the report, a move that councillor Ángeles Vázquez called a validation of regional work.

“Confirms that the work done by the communities has been correct.”

Environmental groups criticized the vote as politically partisan, while livestock associations welcomed the prospect of management measures they say are essential for rural viability.