One of the main ongoing conflicts regarding large carnivores is the damage that large carnivores, particularly wolves, can cause to livestock. The EU Platform has a longstanding interest in the topic and has gathered together information on how such measures can be supported through EU funding and how they are implemented in the different member states.

At the Platform’s annual meeting in May this year, the members examined different approaches to supporting the prevention of livestock depredation. Member states use very different approaches with some funding only compensation measures and others putting significant resources into fencing, livestock guarding dogs, shepherding and surveillance systems. While some member states fund these measures entirely through regional or national funding (e.g. the German regions or Estonia), others such as France and many Italian regions, mainly use the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). It is clear that whichever funding source is used, advice in implementing such measures and using them in combination to effectively prevent depredation is essential. 

The Platform plans to hold a regional workshop on the topic (see below) in the context of proposals for the new rural development regulation.