Romanian president challenges law increasing brown bear hunting quotas

President Nicușor Dan has challenged at the Constitutional Court (CCR) the law that would significantly increase the number of brown bears allowed to be hunted nationwide. He argued that the legislation contains incomplete monitoring and prevention mechanisms and could violate European Union environmental rules.

The law, adopted by Parliament, would approve the hunting of 859 brown bears nationwide in 2026 as a prevention measure, along with an additional 110 bears under intervention quotas aimed at preventing attacks on people and property. This would significantly increase Romania’s annual hunting quotas compared to 2024, when authorities approved the hunting of 426 bears under prevention quotas and 55 under intervention quotas.