The Ornis Committee today refrained from making any recommendations on the opening of the spring hunting season this year.
During the previous Ornis meeting the FKNK had requested that a decision on spring hunting should be taken. Chairman Louis Cilia called for an emergency meeting which took place this afternoon.
BirdLife Malta representatives on the Committee referred to Mr Stavros Dimas statement of the 26th of February 2009 where the Commissioner stated that “the Commission would again apply to the Court for interim measures should Malta permit the hunting of birds during the spring period in 2009.” (1) The Committee decided not to make any recommendations to the Prime Minister.
BirdLife Malta President Joseph Mangion said, “We expect the Prime Minister to respect EU law and not put Malta in another embarrassing position where the court might again apply an interim measure. It is now time to focus on illegal hunting and provide the ALE with much needed resources as we have already started to receive reports of illegal hunting.”
Spring hunting is banned in the EU under the Birds Directive. This protects birds from being shot just before the breeding season. The European Commission took Malta to the European Court of Justice in January 2008 for opening the spring hunting season every year since the accession. An interim measure was imposed on Malta to prevent the 2008 season opening.
In 2008 the Court stressed in paragraph 48 of its Order the importance of protecting the EU’s common heritage and stated that “the interest of hunters does not appear to have a value superior thereto.”
Please see attached link for Mr Stavros Dimas’ full statement: (1)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getAllAnswers.do?reference=E-2008-6763&language=EN [1]