Brown bear meat, EU warns Slovakia: “Generally forbidden to eat it”

Brussels – Brown bear meat in restaurants? It could be done, under certain conditions. Better not do it, however, because EU legislation on the subject is very strict and infringement proceedings are just around the corner. The European Commission has warned Slovakia, which recently passed a new national law allowing the serving of meat from the great plantigrade, sparking debate and controversy. Thus, socialist MEP César Luena asks the European Commission for clarification about an initiative that appears to be in open conflict with European regulations and values. 

“The Habitat directive strictly protects brown bears,” recalls Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall. This means that European legislation “prohibits the keeping, transport, sale or exchange of bear specimens taken from the wild.” Consequently, “commercial activities within the EU involving bears or bear meat are generally prohibited,” the Commissioner continued. 

Of course, she admits, there are exceptional circumstances that allow one to act in derogation of rules and prohibitions, but things have to be done properly; otherwise, sanctions are practically automatically triggered. In addition to nature conservation constraints, there are also health constraints. The regulation on hygiene for animal products intended for human consumption, on the one hand, recognises brown bears as “large game”, effectively establishing that the species can be hunted and eaten. At the same time, however, hunted animals must be taken to a game processing plant for inspection before being declared fit for human consumption.

Food business operators handling bear meat must comply with general food requirements (e.g. traceability), general and specific good hygiene practices and procedures based on the principles of hazard analysis and critical control points.

In short, offering bear meat on the menu can be done, provided that all necessary steps are taken in accordance with the law. Slovakia may do so, but controls will have to determine whether the country and its restaurateurs are in compliance.