Within the EU, the support for achieving coexistence of humans with large carnivores can be financed through different mechanisms, such as State Aid, the Common Agriculture Policy (Rural Development Programmes), and the LIFE programme. Recently, the Commission amended the State Aid mechanism to broaden the financing possibilities. From now on, EU Member States can use their own budgets to finance up to 100% large carnivore compensation payments and prevention measures.
Across Europe, many large carnivore populations are showing signs of a comeback. After decades or centuries of absence – and in response to the nature conservation legislation and the improvement of habitat conditions – browns bears, lynxes, wolves and wolverines are consolidating their numbers and returning to their territories. However, an improved conservation status of large carnivores brings along also challenges for coexistence with humans, as for example on how to decrease economic losses caused by large carnivores attacking livestock.
The European Commission amended the State Aid guidelines, discover major changes of the revision in our article (for members only).
14 June 2019
