The bill comes after a woman died in March after falling from a ravine after being chased by a bear; five people were injured in a separate attack.
Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, who represents the far-right Slovak National Party and who introduced the bill, has pushed for relaxing bear protection rules both at national and European level.
At a meeting of EU environment ministers last week, Taraba called on the European Commission to downgrade the brown bear’s protection status.
Bears are a protected species under European law, meaning their culling is strictly regulated and should not compromise their long-term conservation.
The fast-track legislative procedure removes some obstacles in Parliament, but Taraba will still need broad support to pass.
“In a short time, we will give the opposition the opportunity to show whether they are on the side of citizens, their health and their lives, or whether they are on the side of various irresponsible non-governmental organizations who say that bears are herbivores and the citizens are not in danger. “, said the minister in a press release.
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