Romanian president promulgates law doubling number of bears to be shot over next two years

President Nicuşor Dan promulgated on Monday, October 5, the law that allows immediate intervention against bears that threaten people or property. The same law doubled the number of bears shot for 2026 and 2027, from almost 500 to almost 1,000 specimens for both prevention and intervention.

The law was approved by the Chamber of Deputies at the beginning of May, but Nicuşor Dan subsequently filed a constitutional challenge against it.

In June, the Constitutional Court (CCR) rejected the challenge, ruling that the amendments to the intervention regime were constitutional.

On September 16, the Chamber of Deputies, as the decision-making body, definitively voted to adopt the law following the request for reconsideration submitted by the president. The law was approved by a large majority, with 249 votes “in favor,” maintaining the prevention and intervention quotas established previously, and the document was subsequently officially sent to the president for promulgation.

Essentially, the bill eliminates bureaucratic obstacles reported by mayors in localities facing increasingly frequent attacks by hungry bears, facilitating a rapid response when wild animals come down to garbage bins or enter households.

According to Digi24, depending on the level of risk, if the bear is merely searching through garbage or becomes aggressive, the local team led by a mayor can decide on the spot, without needing approvals from the ministry, to drive it away, tranquilize and relocate it, as well as euthanize or shoot it.

The rules regarding permanent contracts that mayors' offices conclude with veterinarians and hunting associations have also been simplified. In the past, the lack of these contracts left local authorities without legal coverage, blocking timely intervention.

The law also regulates the methods of immediate intervention by authorities to prevent and combat brown bear attacks on citizens and their property, as more and more bears enter localities in search of food, endangering people's lives.

Romania is home to a large population of bears. According to preliminary results from an April 2025 study by the Ministry of Environment, the country’s brown bear population is estimated at between 10,419 and 12,770 animals.