The European Commission yesterday instructed its legal services to open a court case against Malta at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over spring hunting.
The College of Commissioners also agreed to take the necessary measures to prevent the Maltese authorities from allowing spring hunting until the ECJ decides on the matter.
Despite this decision, the Commission will only make its stand public today.
"The decision was made and approved by the Commission," sources close to the Cabinet of Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told The Times yesterday. Asked to specify why the official announcement was not made yesterday, the sources said it is normal practice that, in the case of infringement decisions, announcements are made the day after the approval by the College of Commissioners.
There was no immediate reaction by the government yesterday to the report carried by The Times that the Commission will be asking the ECJ to issue urgent interim measures against Malta, thus preventing spring hunting this coming season.
A spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister said when contacted that the government will only react following an official announcement by the Commission.
The Commission decision will now set the ball rolling at the judicial level whereby the ECJ, after receiving the Commission's request, will open a case against Malta and appoint a judge to preside over it.
Concurrently, once the Commission is asking for immediate interim measures (that is, a temporary court order) to prevent the opening of the coming season, the ECJ will refer the case to the court's President to examine the reasons brought forward by the Commission and give a ruling.
The temporary decision does not impinge on the hearing and on the eventual ruling on the original case.
European court experts have told The Times that, normally, a court case before the ECJ similar to the one involving Malta will take between two to three years to be heard and decided. However, as the Commission is also applying for interim measures, the court will hear the preliminary submissions by both parties and decide in a matter of weeks whether to issue an injunction against the Maltese authorities or not. The decision will be issued before the start of the upcoming spring season.
Normally, the hunting spring season starts on March 20.
Meanwhile, Alternattiva Demokratika yesterday called on the government to respect the wishes of the majority of Maltese citizens and stop spring hunting with immediate effect.
AD chairman Harry Vassallo said Malta is being dragged before the EU courts because of the hard-headedness and irrationality of the government and the political parties' thirst for votes throughout the years.
Carmel Cacopardo, AD spokesman on sustainable development, said Maltese taxpayers would be risking a huge fine if hunting is allowed this spring and if the law is not changed to ensure that hunting would not be allowed during spring in the future.