The hunters' federation has written to the Prime Minister urging him to allow spring hunting if the European Court delays its decision on whether or not hunting should be allowed this spring.

The court has been asked by the European Commission to issue an interim order banning spring hunting this year pending a final decision on the future of spring hunting. Final submissions were made before the court in Luxembourg earlier this week.

The federation told Dr Gonzi that if it was seen that the court was not taking its decision within a reasonable time, he should allow hunting to go ahead, in line with the government's own arguments that provision for spring hunting was made in the accession negotiations.