Romania’s Constitutional Court Upholds New Brown Bear Hunting Quotas for 2026

Today, 24 June 2026, the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) rejected the President’s challenge. The court ruled that the law increasing the brown bear hunting quotas is constitutional, clearing the way for its implementation.

Key Takeaways of the Ruling

• Challenge Dismissed: The CCR rejected all arguments raised regarding the lack of scientific backing, lack of penalties, and violations of the EU Habitats Directive. 
• Quotas Confirmed: The decision validates the culling of 859 bears under prevention quotas and 110 bears under intervention quotas for the 2026 period
• Legal Context: Judges accepted the defense that the high quotas are necessary to control the ballooning bear population, protect human life, and reduce agricultural damage.

What Happens Next?

The Constitutional Court’s decision removes the constitutional obstacle to the law’s entry into force, but several procedural steps still remain.

Under the Romanian Constitution, President Nicușor Dan cannot challenge the law before the Constitutional Court a second time. However, he may still return the law to Parliament once for reconsideration. Such a request would NOT be based on constitutionality, but on issues of policy, implementation, or legislative clarity.

If the President chooses not to request reconsideration, he must promulgate the law within ten days after receiving the Constitutional Court’s decision. The law would then be published in Romania’s Official Gazette (Monitorul Oficial) and would enter into force three days after publication.

Should the President send the law back to Parliament for reconsideration, the legislative process could be delayed by several weeks. Parliament would have to examine the President’s observations, vote again on the bill, and return it to the President for promulgation. Following reconsideration, the President no longer has the option of requesting another parliamentary review and must promulgate the law within ten days.

For hunters and outfitters, the key point is that the Constitutional Court’s ruling significantly increases the likelihood that the new quotas will become law. The only remaining uncertainty concerns the timing of publication in the Official Gazette, not the Court’s assessment of constitutionality.