Romanian Agriculture Minister Urges EU to Revise Brown Bear Protection Status

Interim Agriculture Minister Tanczos Barna announced that Romania will seek changes to the EU’s protection regime for the brown bear. He argues that the current “strictly protected” classification hampers effective management of growing human‑bear conflicts, citing a recent EU precedent where the wolf’s status was lowered after incidents in Germany.

Barna noted that a Romanian law proposing higher hunting quotas is awaiting a decision from the Constitutional Court, and that parallel efforts are under way to draft a request to the European Commission. The ministry is already collecting endorsements from other member states, aiming to present the proposal at the upcoming AGRIFISH Council meeting. Farmers have reported an increase in bear‑related damage, injuries and even deaths, prompting the call for more flexible, EU‑wide measures.

The minister emphasized that the issue extends beyond wildlife conservation, affecting agriculture and public safety, and urged Brussels to consider a status change that would allow member states to implement broader management actions against problematic bear populations.