Romanian Constitutional Court upholds law doubling bear hunting quotas

The Constitutional Court of Romania dismissed President Nicușor Dan’s request to declare the new bear‑hunting law unconstitutional. The ruling clears the way for the law, which sets a 2026 quota of 859 brown bears for preventive culling and 110 for intervention, effectively doubling the previous limits of 426 and 55 respectively. Dan argued the measure violated the EU Habitats Directive and exceeded the powers of the executive, alleging that the parliament improperly set specific cull numbers that should have been determined by the environment ministry.

Vice‑premier Barna welcomed the decision, stating the law complies with the Constitution and is based on scientific population assessments. The legislation also includes safeguards such as prohibiting the removal of females accompanied by cubs under two years old and restricting culling in areas where hunting is otherwise forbidden. After the Court’s decision, the law will be forwarded for promulgation.