{"id":1876,"date":"2026-06-18T15:47:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/?p=1876"},"modified":"2026-06-18T15:47:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T15:47:29","slug":"a-human-life-cannot-be-worth-less-than-a-bears-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/a-human-life-cannot-be-worth-less-than-a-bears-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A HUMAN LIFE CANNOT BE WORTH LESS THAN A BEAR\u2019S"},"content":{"rendered":"

Csaba Borboly in the European Committee of the Regions: it is time for Brussels to face reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

Assisi, 18 June 2026<\/p>\n

Today, Csaba Borboly, Vice-President of Harghita County Council and member of the European Committee of the Regions, spoke at the meeting of the ENVE Commission and later at the plenary session. The issue could not be postponed: in the first half of 2026, Romania has already recorded more fatal bear attacks than in the whole of last year. Csaba Borboly came to Assisi to say that the EU nature protection legal framework must be reviewed, because in its current form it is costing human lives.<\/p>\n

What we achieved today: the EU acknowledged that human life must take priority<\/strong><\/p>\n

At today\u2019s vote, the ENVE Commission adopted two compromise amendments negotiated by Csaba Borboly as shadow rapporteur. These texts will now become part of the official position on the EU Environmental Implementation Review.<\/p>\n

The EU now records in writing that human life and safety must be a primary consideration in the application of the Habitats Directive. The EU records that traditional extensive farming and grazing are not enemies of biodiversity, but its foundation in mountain areas. The EU acknowledges that when people abandon the land because of wildlife conflicts, that itself is a loss of biodiversity. The EU requires the Commission to regularly provide data in future reviews on species management, conflicts and the application of derogations.<\/p>\n

These results were achieved because the experience of Harghita County and Romania was present at the table. Because there was someone who has been persistently representing this issue in Brussels for years.<\/p>\n

What has not yet been decided: the directives themselves<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s decision is important, but not enough. The so-called stress test of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives is currently under way: the European Commission is examining whether these legal instruments are still suitable and proportionate today.<\/p>\n

These directives do not distinguish between a species that is almost extinct in one Member State and one that has multiplied to such an extent that it kills people. In Romania, the estimated brown bear population, according to scientific studies, is between 10,400 and 12,800 individuals, in three genetically distinct populations. This is the largest population in the entire European Union. This is not an endangered species. This is an overpopulated population that is claiming human lives.<\/p>\n

Csaba Borboly initiated that the Committee of the Regions hold a thematic debate in September on the stress test, with invited experts, and then develop an independent institutional position. These two EU directives affect local and regional authorities the most, yet decisions are still being made about them and without them.<\/p>\n

The bear mafia and obstruction: what can no longer be left unsaid<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Romania, organised interest groups regularly obstruct the implementation of population management decisions. Through court proceedings, administrative appeals and political pressure, they make it impossible to carry out what the law allows and what safety would require. This is not nature protection. This is an economic interest whose victims are people.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, the new mayor of K\u00e1szon also became the victim of a bear attack and almost paid with his life. Four people\u2019s lives were at risk in a single incident. In such cases, the question is not whether the bear is protected. The question is who protects the human being.<\/p>\n

An EU-level decision is necessary precisely because, if we try to handle this issue only at national or regional level, organised obstruction will always find the legal loophole and the courtroom where intervention can be blocked. A clear, science-based and regionally differentiated EU framework would deprive these interest groups of the tool they are using today.<\/p>\n

Barna T\u00e1nczos: the issue will be brought to the Council table<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barna T\u00e1nczos, Romania\u2019s Minister of Environment, is consistently and firmly representing this issue at Member State level. In Brussels, at next week\u2019s Agri-Fish Council meeting, he will put the brown bear issue on the agenda, at the level where the governments of the Member States sit opposite each other and where decisions on the legal framework are made. This is the level to which this issue had to be brought.<\/p>\n

J\u00e1nos Ferdin\u00e1nd: a voice speaking from reality<\/strong><\/p>\n

J\u00e1nos Ferdin\u00e1nd has clearly spoken out recently in favour of the fact that the brown bear issue can no longer be postponed. His words carry particular weight because they come from local reality and not from a distance in Brussels. His full line of thought, which he shared on this matter, can be read separately.<\/p>\n

Why now and why Brussels<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many people ask why this issue must be taken to Brussels. The answer is simple. Because Annex IV of the Habitats Directive does not currently allow for regional, flexible and rapid intervention. Because the derogation system is slow, cumbersome and vulnerable to legal challenges. Because as long as the EU legal framework does not change, every national attempt will remain legally vulnerable.<\/p>\n

Europe must not be left alone in this debate. The people who live, work, graze animals and raise children in the mountains of the Carpathians are European citizens just like everyone else. Their safety is also the responsibility of the European Union.<\/p>\n

Csaba Borboly is Vice-President of Harghita County Council, member of the European Committee of the Regions, EPP shadow rapporteur on the opinion on the EU Environmental Implementation Review, and rapporteur of the CoR opinions on coexistence with large carnivores, ENVE-VI\/025 and ENVE-VII\/046.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Csaba Borboly in the European Committee of the Regions: it is time for Brussels to face reality Assisi, 18 June 2026 Today, Csaba Borboly, Vice-President of Harghita County Council and member of the European Committee of the Regions, spoke at the meeting of the ENVE Commission and later at the plenary session. The issue could […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1877,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[82,1,84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cor","category-hirek","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1876"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1878,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1876\/revisions\/1878"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cor.borbolycsaba.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}