The government is "arrogantly bulldozing" over court decisions as it continues to allow finch trapping in defiance of an EU ruling, BirdLife Malta said on Monday. 

The group said that eight environmental NGOs have now endorsed the group's call on the European Commissioner for Environment to uphold the terms of the accession treaty which included a provision to phase out trapping. 

BirdLife Malta has written to Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič to issue an interim measure to stop the trapping of finches after the European Court of Justice ruled that Malta allowing the practice is illegal in September. 

In spite of the ruling, the government allowed the season to be opened on October 20 under the same conditions as the previous years. 

"This is the second time in a matter of months that the government is bulldozing arrogantly ahead against court decisions," BirdLife said in the statement, citing the recent sanctioning of two illegally built penthouses in Gozo against a decision by the Court of Appeals. 

"Ironically, both the hunting derogations and planning fall under Minister Clint Camilleri who seems to have been given freedom to ride roughshod on these matters by Prime Minister Robert Abela," they continued. 

"If our government breaches environmental directives, is then stopped by the European Court of Justice, but continues permitting such breaches for fear of losing political favour, then this country’s environmental future is in dire straits."

The groups renewed their call for the EU Commission to scrutinise the situation in Malta and act as fast as possible on the trapping derogation. 

The statement has been endorsed by: Din l-Art Ħelwa, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta, Malta Rangers Unit, Friends of the Earth Malta, Ramblers Association, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar and Għawdix.