Background The Romanian Carpathians are the home to a stable population of brown bear (Ursus arctos), which represents around 35% of the total number of brown bears in Europe. With more than 6 000 individuals, this area supports nearly the entire bear population in Romania – only the Apuseni Mountains is home to another bear group with 250-300 individuals. However, brown bears in Romania face several threats, including habitat fragmentation due to new infrastructure. The area around Brasov, for example, is extremely important for the country’s road infrastructure and cuts through bear habitat. Objectives The LIFE FOR BEAR project aims to protect the entire bear population in the Romanian Carpathians. Although parts of the Apuseni Mountains in Western Romania are not included, the migration corridor between the Carpathian and the Apuseni Mountains is included in the project area. The project area encompasses about 30% of Romania’s total land area. The project’s specific objectives are to: Update the brown bear population management plan in Romania, taking into account the new socio-economic environment; Enhance the brown bear’s conservation status in the area of Braşov-Valea Prahovei; Optimise waste management activities, in order to reduce the human-bear conflicts in the Braşov-Valea Prahovei area; Develop innovative techniques for bear population management and conservation, and for transferring good practice techniques to the stakeholders; and Improve local and national stakeholders’ attitudes towards conserving the brown bear population and promote Nature 2000 network objectives. Expected results: Knowledge base enhanced as a result of research conducted on different topics (e.g. a socio-economic analysis of stakeholders’ attitudes towards the brown bear population in Romania; an analysis of the human-bear conflicts at both national level and in the Brasov-Prahova Valley; research on the quality of the brown bear habitat in Romania); A revised Action Plan for the Conservation of the Brown Bear in Romania and a revised GIS database; A team of ‘bear conflict’ specialists; Problematic bears are relocated in the entire project area; Improved food offered to bears near conflict areas; A set of forest management measures as well as sheepfold, field, bee and farm protection techniques that are favourable for brown bears; Improved waste management system in the Brasov-Prahova Valley area; Implemented measures to control tourism are implemented; and Awareness among local stakeholders and the general public increased through promotion and dissemination actions.