The European Commission has issued a fresh warning to Malta to put a stop to the spring hunting of turtle doves or face legal action.
In the latest in a long-running dispute, the Commission sent Malta a letter of formal notice to correctly apply the Birds Directive.
The directive requires a system of protection for wild birds and only allows hunting or trapping under strict conditions.
Malta has authorised several derogations for the hunting of birds for more than a decade, allowing quail to be hunted since 2011 and golden plover and song thrush to be trapped since 2012.
It has failed to implement a system to protect wild birds against illegal killing and capture.
In December 2020, the EC sent Malta its first letter of formal notice due to its derogations on quail, golden plover and song thrush.
This second letter of formal notice has been sent based on Malta’s decision in January to extend the spring hunting derogation to include the turtle dove, the Commission said.
“This derogation fails to comply with the conditions laid down in the Birds Directive and goes against the ongoing conservation efforts of the Member States and the Commission,” the Commission said in a statement.
Malta has two months to respond and address the shortcomings raise. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion, which is a step closer to EU court action.
If the member continues to fail to address these issues, the Commissioner may then refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.
Local conservation NGO BirdLife Malta has already taken the government to court last November for its decision to open the spring hunting season for turtle dove, citing specifically that the practice goes against the Birds Directive.
On Wednesday, it called on Malta to "once and for all" declare the practice as illegal.
The warning was part of a list of infringements the EU said it had decided to take action against.
Malta was also warned against its failure to review its water management plans under the Floods Directive and its failure to allow lawyers to advertise their services.
The country was also one of 11 member states found to have failed to introduce minimum rules that define criminal offences and sanctions related to the sexual exploitation of children, child pornography and the solicitation of children for sexual purposes.