Framework Law allowing finch trapping repealed – BirdLife Malta

BirdLife Malta said that it has just found out that “following yesterday’s decision by the ORNIS Committee not to recommend the opening of a finch trapping season this year, the Framework Law that permits such a derogation has been repealed a few hours ago through Legal Notice 387 of 2021.”

In a statement, BirdLife said that following the landmark 2018 ECJ verdict which stopped finch trapping in Malta, “even the smokescreen research derogation” which the Government “resorted to last year to still allow trapping is the subject of an open Infringement Procedure initiated by the European Commission last year.”However, even this “smokescreen derogation” was challenged by the European Commission with an Infringement Procedure initiated in December last year, BirdLife said. Responses from the Government to justify this derogation failed short last June with the Commission taking the action a further step by sending a Reasoned Opinion to the Maltese Government (which is the second formal warning, following the Letter of Formal Notice).

BirdLife went on to say that, “it now seems that finally common sense has prevailed and the Prime Minister and his Cabinet are making sure Malta does not end up once again at the European Court of Justice even in this case, which would be the last step in the Infringement Procedure.”

“We now await to hear a confirmation of today’s latest development from the Government,” said BirdLife Malta.

Photos: BirdLife Malta