The Nationalist Party is expected to announce its stand on the spring hunting referendum today after it yesterday concluded a week-long round of internal discussions on the matter.
Party sources told this newspaper the internal exercise was led by party leader Simon Busuttil himself and included intense meetings with all the PN structures, particularly the leadership, the shadow Cabinet, the parliamentary group, the administrative and executive councils and even the grassroots.
When asked about the internal exercise, a party spokesman would only say “the PN and its leader will surely be very clear about their positions”.
Following last week’s Constitutional Court decision to allow an abrogative referendum on whether Malta should continue to use a derogation allowed by EU laws for limited spring hunting, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that although he would be supporting spring hunting, the Labour Party would not be taking a stand.
Dr Busuttil said internal discussions would be held before the party made its stand known.
“Unlike Labour, we don’t believe that the leader should dictate and decide for everyone. The Prime Minister first tried to sabotage the referendum and is now trying to influence it. This is not the way we do things. This week, Dr Busuttil spent hours listening to people’s views on the matter and he is now set to announce a position,” the PN spokesman said.
Since before the 2003 referendum on whether Malta should join the EU, the PN had promised that spring hunting would continue to be allowed under a derogation negotiated with the EU. Dr Busuttil, then head of the Malta-EU Information Centre, formed part of the team that negotiated such a concession. So far, the party has stuck to that position.
The matter ended up before the European Court of Justice with the government arguing that, in Malta’s case, spring hunting should continue. The Court had decided that the island should continue to allow a “limited and controlled” hunting season.
Although many were expecting the Court to ban spring hunting in Malta permanently, the ruling left the door ajar for Maltese hunters when it conceded that, based on statistics presented in the case, the autumn season did not really offer an alternative to spring.
The Court had also said that the conditions on which Malta authorised spring hunting before the judgment did not fulfil all the requirements set in the Birds Directive.
Following the ruling, the PN government had amended the law to allow short spring hunting seasons according to the Court ruling.
After the change in government in 2013, Labour continued to adopt the same position as that adopted by the PN administration.
Spring hunting timeline:
May 2004: Malta’s accession to the EU.
Spring 2005 and 2006: Government invokes derogation under Birds Directive and allows hunting.
June 2006: EU issues formal notice, warning Malta spring hunting was not justified.
February 2007: Malta again allows spring hunting.
March 2007: EU issues supplementary warning letter.
October 2007: Brussels makes second formal warning to Malta to stop spring hunting.
January 2008: European Commission decides to refer issue to European Court of Justice.
April 2008: European Court of Justice issues interim measures ordering Malta not to allow spring hunting in 2008 until the case is decided. Malta abides.
Spring 2009: No spring hunting season allowed.
September 2009: European Court of Justice decides that Malta can continue to have “limited and controlled” spring hunting season.
Spring 2010: Government again allows spring hunting under new rules respecting the Court’s ruling.