Romania pushes EU to loosen protection for brown bear

Romania, together with Slovakia, has launched a request to the European Commission to reclassify the brown bear from the list of strictly protected species. The proposal is backed by twelve EU member states, according to Vice‑Prime Minister and interim Agriculture Minister Tanczos Barna, who said: “Avem susținerea a 12 state membre în acest demers … trebuie o abordare mai flexibilă.”

Romanian experts from the Institute of Research and the universities of Brașov and Suceava will travel to Brussels to present scientific data on the country's brown‑bear population—estimated at 10,600 to 12,700 animals—and on increasing incidents involving humans, farms and property. The effort coincides with the Commission’s ongoing “stress‑test” of the Birds and Habitats Directives, which includes a public consultation that gives Romania the chance to argue for a more flexible management regime rather than an outright removal of protection.

Barna emphasized that each member state should be allowed to act according to its own wildlife situation, noting that Romania hosts the largest brown‑bear population in the EU.