The European Commission has called on the European Court of Justice to issue an injunction against Italy to prevent the hunting of protected bird species in the Lombardy region. Court action is already pending against a number of regions, including Lombardy, for the practice of allowing hunting derogations which do not comply with the strict conditions laid down in EU law. However, the Commission has decided to take urgent action after Lombardy passed new legislation which allows the hunting of four protected species until 31 December 2009.

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said member sates had to follow the correct rules for the conservation of bird species to help prevent biodiversity loss.

"EU nature legislation allows for derogations for a limited number of reasons, although these exceptions are only possible when there is no alternative solution and strict conditions are met."

The European Commission said a number of regions have for many years adopted and continue to adopt legislation and derogations permitting the hunting of birds in breach of the Birds Directive. The regions concerned are: Abruzzo, Lazio, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Marche, Calabria, Apulia and Tuscany.

It said the Lombardy region recently passed new legislation which allows the hunting of four protected species - Chaffinch ( Fringilla coelebs), Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), Meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) and Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes). The injunction was requested in order to stop that legislation.

The Commission said this was only the fourth time that such an injunction had been sought, with previous cases concerning a law permitting the spring hunting of birds in Malta in April 2008, the proposed construction of a road through the Rospuda river valley in Poland in March 2007,and hunting derogations in breach of the Birds Directive for the region of Liguria, Italy, in December 2006.