Victoriei Square protest/Government calls for

The Government stated on Tuesday that it respects all citizens' legal right to peaceful protest, but noted that "the protest in Victoriei Square went beyond this scope and degenerated into regrettable acts of violence," and called "for calm and an end to the violence.""It is worth noting that no representative association of sheep farmers participated in today's protest in Victory Square. The Government of Romania respects all citizens' legal right to peaceful protest, but the protest in Victory Square went beyond this scope and degenerated into regrettable acts of violence. The Government calls for calm and an end to the violence," reads a press release issued by the Government.Acting Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan acknowledged the demands submitted to the Government by the "Professional Association of Shepherds" (APC) and discussed potential solutions to the issues raised with the acting Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Prime Minister Tanczos Barna, the release reads.According to the Executive's statement, some of the demands registered on Tuesday had also been raised during six previous meetings between representatives of the sheep farming sector and Government officials.The Executive outlined the measures taken in this area. "The measure of eliminating the risk of transmitting peste des petits ruminants (PPR) or sheep and goat pox through the culling of animals was applied exceptionally and only in situations where no other viable alternatives existed. The authorities will proceed in the same manner in the future. The National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority has submitted the Action Plan for unblocking sheep and goat exports to the European Commission. Exports may resume once the European Commission approves this plan," the release reads.Furthermore, the Government has determined that the leasing of pastures is to be handled by administrative-territorial units (ATUs)."The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has initiated a thematic inspection, following petitions received from farmers, to identify leasing procedures where applicable legal provisions were not observed," the cited source notes.The Government mentions that a significant portion of sanitary-veterinary activities is currently funded by the state budget."Any expansion of these activities entails the allocation of additional budgetary resources; therefore, a prior financial and budgetary impact analysis is required," according to the statement.The Government emphasizes that the operations of the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority are coordinated by Deputy Prime Minister Tanczos Barna, the interim Minister of Agriculture. "The Ministry of Agriculture has initiated steps to develop a real-time traceability system for livestock shipments, to be built by the National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority (ANSVSA), aimed at combating illegal transport. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development supports the farmers' demand for compensation regarding drought-related damage to pastures and has drafted a proposal to this effect. However, the measure entails a significant budgetary impact and requires identifying the necessary financial resources. Together with representative sheep breeders' associations, the Ministry has drafted a bill to compensate for additional feed costs. Given the current context, specifically the absence of a fully empowered government, the bill must be adopted by Parliament," the statement notes.The Government highlights that the Ministry of Agriculture has maintained a constant, constructive dialogue with representative sheep farmers' organizations and the ANSVSA, while also facilitating a platform for dialogue between sheep breeders and the ANSVSA during the preparation of an action plan to manage the sector's situation and resume exports."Since July 9, 2026, six meetings have taken place involving representatives of sheep breeders, the ANSVSA, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; these meetings were held at the Government headquarters, at the respective institutions, and with local authorities in Brasov and Sibiu," the release adds.