Birdlife Malta will be submitting a formal complaint to the European Commission after the Ornis Committee surprisingly decided to recommend that the government extends the autumn trapping season.
The Commission will also be informed that the Ornis Committee has recommended the trapping of four species which are not listed in the Accession Treaty.
During a meeting last Thursday, the Ornis committee recommended that the autumn trapping season opens for a period beyond December 31 on the basis of advice given to it by the Attorney General, even though Malta's temporary exemption from EU law - which bans the type of trapping used on the island - expires at the end of the year.
Trapping using clap nets the Maltese way is not permitted by the Birds' Directive because it is considered a highly effective practice - since one trapper can easily catch all the targeted species in a single area.
The EU does accept some alternative forms of trapping.
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas had also told the government that trapping in Malta would not be allowed after December.
According to Birdlife Malta executive director Tolga Temuge, Thursday's vote was based on no data or justification.
He said the only explanation was that these were demands made by the hunters' federation.
The Ornis vote allows the trapping of four additional species - a clear infringement of the EU Birds' Directive, according to Birdlife, since the Accession Treaty only covered seven species of finch.
During the meeting, Birdlife repeatedly warned that an extension to the trapping season would represent an infringement.
Ornis justified its recommendation on the basis of advice received last year from the Attorney General, who told the committee that, given that the Commission had not taken action against Malta when it opened the season previously, one could "therefore assume that if the circumstances remained the same then the same conditions should exist to justify the application of the mentioned derogation.
"Therefore it does not appear that there is a reason why one should think that the Commission should not accept the derogation which is being invoked."
Mr Temuge disagrees, saying Birdlife believes the European Commission will take action against Malta's new hunting-related infringements.
"We also believe that a country should take its conservation decisions based on law and science and not on politics and a continuing effort to appease the hunting lobby.
"It is unacceptable to continue allowing infringements against the Birds Directive until the European Commission takes action, through the opening of another infringement proceeding."
Mr Temuge also criticised the government for failing to carry out a proper education campaign among trappers.
The EU has already instituted court proceedings against Malta for permitting hunting in spring between 2004 and 2007.