MEPs in new push against hunting

The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament has asked the bureau of Parliament to put hunting in Malta on the agenda of a plenary session, which means that the debate will be held in the presence of the European Commission and all MEPs will be able to take part.

The chairman of the committee, Marcin Libicki, told The Times: "Our procedural rules allow us to ask for a debate at plenary on a specific item. As our committee noticed that no progress has been achieved so far on the hunting situation in Malta, we will be taking a first step to put more pressure on the Commission. If things remain the same we will then move on to order an own initiative report which will go into the details of the problems and instigate more pressure onto the Commission to stop spring hunting."

Mr Libicki visited Malta last May and penned a very critical report on the hunting situation. He said that for his committee spring hunting was unacceptable in any form.

Asked whether his committee was picking on Malta, Mr Libicki replied: "The most serious problem we have is with Malta as birds migrating from Africa to the EU are killed half-way through their journey. It is very easy for Maltese hunters to kill all these birds after such a long journey. We think that this has to stop."

Mr Libicki said his committee would be also insisting that trapping be completely banned as from the end of 2007.

The developments announced by Mr Libicki followed a sitting of the Petitions Committee a few weeks ago in Brussels where the recent police memo instructing officers to temporarily refrain from pressing charges against hunters on certain breaches of the law was heavily criticised. The police have since withdrawn the memo.

Last July the Commission started infringement procedures against Malta on charges that spring hunting in 2004 went against its rules. The Commission is still awaiting Malta's reply to its letter of formal warning.

Meanwhile, the Federation for Hunting and Conservation has warned that it will order a series of street protests unless hunting regulations were changed. It argues that the regulations - drawn up last March - are over and above the requirements of the Birds Directive.

A series of weekly technical meetings had been held between the federation and the government in an attempt to amend the regulations but the federation has accused the government of dragging its feet over the matter.