Former EU negotiator involved in anti-trapping campaign

The hunters' lobby has expressed anger after learning that Malta's main negotiator over hunting and trapping in the run-up to EU membership is now involved in an information campaign against trapping.

The project, steered by Birdlife Malta, is part-funded by the EU under the Life+ programme.

The European Commission and Birdlife Malta have confirmed that Media Today co-owner and editor Saviour Balzan is an associate beneficiary of over €157,000 funds granted by the EU for the controversial 'Stop Trapping Malta' campaign.

"This is a real scandal," hunters' federation secretary Lino Farrugia told The Sunday Times.

"Mr Balzan was the man who dealt with the EU on our behalf and is now campaigning against us and getting money from the EU to do this. What a scandal," he said.

The first phase of the two-year campaign already hit the headlines after billboards were targeted by arsonists. The hunters' lobby described the messages as provocative.

In the meantime, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, which had originally committed itself to grant funds towards the project, suddenly changed course.

A European Commission spokesman said that the coordinating beneficiary of the campaign was "Birdlife Malta and there are two associated beneficiaries: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - a UK organisation - and Media Today."

Describing the project as a partnership, the Commission said that it involved an information campaign on the negative consequences of trapping wild birds and driving the message home that trapping was forbidden under the EU Birds Directive.

Birdlife executive director Tolga Temuge said: "Media Today has been involved in this partnership from day one and was also included in the formal project application submitted to Brussels.

"The total percentage of the actions which the project's associated beneficiaries are responsible for accounts for approximately 30 per cent of the total project budget (which is €315,794) and each get 50 per cent of their costs through the EU grant."

According to Birdlife, during the two-year long campaign Media Today - publishers of Malta Today and Illum newspapers - will be mainly responsible for the production of a TV series. The costs of this project are not known.

Despite various reminders, Mr Balzan, whose company also produces and presents Reporter for TVM, declined to answer any questions related to his involvement in the campaign - including how much he will receive.

Before Malta's accession to the EU in 2004, Mr Balzan was engaged by the government as a paid consultant to negotiate the highly sensitive 'hunting and trapping' dossier on Malta's behalf.

Mr Balzan's work, in close collaboration with Malta's then chief negotiator Richard Cachia Caruana, used to involved regular visits to Brussels and meetings with Commission officials.

Former members of the Malta-EU Steering Action Committee and officials from the hunters' lobby are now questioning Mr Balzan's involvement in this anti-trapping campaign.

Mr Balzan approved literature published by the then Malta-EU Information Centre on the hunting and trapping negotiations, which among other things stated that spring hunting and trapping would continue after accession. The European Commission has since said both are against EU rules.

"The least Mr Balzan could have done is to stay away from this campaign and remain neutral," a former member of Meusac said.