Commissioner Roswall, on behalf of the European Commission, defended the funding of the TransWILD project on large carnivore coexistence, clarifying that the EU contribution is capped at €360,000—not the €1.2 million cited by MEP Sergio Berlato. In a written answer to a parliamentary question from the ECR member, Roswall stressed that the project was selected through a competitive process and that oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure research quality, including statistical soundness.
Berlato had questioned the value of spending over €1 million of public money on research into coexistence with bears and wolves, arguing that the survey methodology was flawed and that the EU should instead rely on existing national data. He also noted that the EU had already downgraded the wolf's protection status, suggesting further research was unnecessary.
The Commission's answer clarifies that the total project budget is €1.2 million, but the EU share is only 30% (€360,000), with the rest coming from national research organisations. Roswall emphasised that co-funded partnerships like Biodiversa+ avoid duplication by pooling resources. She also pointed out that while the wolf's protection level has been relaxed, the species remains protected under the Habitats Directive, and investments in prevention measures—such as those funded through the Common Agricultural Policy and Horizon Europe—are still needed to reduce livestock predation.
The answer signals a policy orientation that balances biodiversity conservation with practical management, rejecting the notion that coexistence is unattainable. No immediate institutional follow-up was announced, but the Commission continues to support coexistence research and prevention measures through various funding streams.
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