Brussels to step up pressure on Malta

The European Commission is expected to exert more pressure on the Maltese government to reverse its decision to open the hunting season this spring.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg late last night while rounding up a debate on the issue, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said the Commission will be deciding, in two week's time, to extend the scope of its legal proceedings against the Maltese government over spring hunting and will be sending a further warning letter. He warned that if Malta will still not comply, the Commission is determined to proceed with the matter until the end.

"The government's decision to keep spring hunting this year is a perfect example of misimplementation of EU law. I do have a glimmer of hope that following our second warning the Maltese government will comply with community law."

The debate, which started at 10.45 p.m., followed a question put to the Commission by the chairman of the Petitions Committee Marcin Libicki.

All five Maltese MEPs intervened in the session. While Nationalist MEPs took the government's position, the three labour MEPs took no sides and lambasted both the government and the Commission for "fooling the Maltese people before the EU referendum".

Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil said the derogation being invoked by Malta to allow spring hunting was negotiated and accepted by the Commission even in a written document published prior to the negotiations. He said it is not fair that the Commission is now stating that Malta cannot apply this derogation.

David Casa was critical about the debate and warned that it may cause a serious precedent. He argued that although political groups have the right to push their political agenda, this should be done within parameters.

"We cannot go about breaking agreements at will just because it fits the political agenda of a few people who, I am afraid to say, have other ideas in mind," Mr Casa said.

On the other hand, the three Labour MEPs insisted that both the government and the Commission are transparent over what has really been negotiated.

Louis Grech said that although the Labour Party agreed that Malta should respect EU laws, there should be more transparency on the issue. He said that before the referendum, the Commission remained silent and offered no clarifications on the issue despite serious doubts expressed by the MLP on what the government said it had negotiated.

Joseph Muscat accused the government of fooling the Maltese people over the issue.

"I am sorry to say that the Commission is also to blame. You remained silent and when the MLP expressed its doubts you never uttered a word."

John Attard Montalto also called for transparency and said that unfortunately the issue has become a political football between political parties in order to attract the hunters' vote.

Meanwhile, the Green and United for Europe of the Nations (UEN) groups yesterday formally tabled a resolution on the issue which will be put to the vote tomorrow.

The resolution states that the EP "considers the decision by the Government of Malta to authorise spring hunting and trapping against the public advice of the European Commission regrettable and calls on the Government of Malta to reconsider the decision". It also "strongly urges the Commission to redouble its efforts to persuade the Maltese authorities to comply fully with Community law".

In their resolution, the Green and UEN groups noted that earlier this year, the Commission had already recommended that the Government of Malta should not allow spring hunting this year. They said the Commission had also stated that if spring hunting is authorised in 2007 it intended to examine in a joint case the spring hunting allowed also in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and dispatch a reasoned opinion (the second stage of the EU's legal proceedings) to Malta on the matter.

Last July the EU initiated legal procedures against Malta over hunting permitted during spring of 2004. According to the Commission, a derogation applied by Malta under the EU Birds Directive is not justified. The government insists it is right in applying the derogation and is prepared to defend its stand even at the European Court of Justice.

The Green/UEN resolution was allowed to be tabled last Monday following a vote taken at the opening of this week's session. An attempt by the European People's Party to remove the resolution from the agenda was defeated.

Both Dr Busuttil and Mr Casa insisted the resolution was "unnecessary at the time being". However, this was contested by the Greens co-chairman Monica Frassoni who said the resolution was necessary as Malta was not abiding by EU laws.

When put to vote, the EPP proposal was defeated. The only Labour MEP present during the debate on Monday, Dr Attard Montalto, voted with the EPP as he was against the resolution appearing on the agenda.