Romania's Senate bill breaches the Habitat Directive and puts brown bears in danger

2.10.2019

Question for written answer P-003062-19
to the Commission
Rule 138
Nicolae Ştefănuță (Renew)

Under current Romanian legislation, bear hunting is banned in Romania. The Ministry of the Environment does, however, approve hunting quotas each year for scientific or bear population management purposes. Romania’s Senate has recently passed a bill under which, for a period of 5 years, hunting brown bears is no longer restricted to the annual quotas approved by the Ministry of the Environment. This would breach the Habitat Directive, which stipulates that brown bears are an animal in need of strict protection since they are marked as a priority species in the Annex II of the Habitat Directive.

The bill was sent to the Chamber of Deputies, which will have the final vote.

1. Can the Commission take measures in order to ensure that EC laws are observed in this specific case?

2. How can we ensure that it will take action in such cases and follow up on complaints in a quick and transparent manner and that it will bring Member States to the Court of Justice of the EU when nature legislation is breached?