An international expert team on environmental conflict management has visited Harghita County Council for the second time on 20 June 2018 to meet local and regional stakeholders related the conflicts on presence and management of brown bear (Ursus arctos).

The infographics of this matter was made by the Analysis Group of Harghita County Council, and it examines the population of bears, wild damages and hunting quotas. According to a study the optimal number of bears in Harghita County should be 340, while the hunting associations’ estimations show more with 1010 specimens. This matter leads to the fact that bears need to enter populated areas and often encounter people throughout their food-obtaining journeys. Even though these bears run away in these situations, most of the times this encounters end up with attacks.  In Timiș County for example a rate of 16% was approved to be hunted, while in Harghita County this rate was only 3, 9% in the last year’s season.

During the ENVE meeting on 28th of September, local and regional authorities together with experts from other institutions and organisations discussed the European Committee of the Regions' (CoR) opinion on the 'Contribution to the fitness check of the EU Birds and Habitats Directives' by Mr Roby Biwer. In this meeting, Mr. Csaba Borboly, president of Harghita County Concil, called for addressing the issue related to the situations when bears intrude into populated areas and represent a threat to people.