A few days ago Michl Ebner, number one of FACE (European Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation), decided to write a letter to our Minister of the Environment, Gianluca Galletti. The main reason is the question US Pilot and the infringement procedure concerning our country. The letter was also addressed for information to several Italian MEPs, namely Renata Briano, Paolo De Castro, David Sassoli and Damiano Zoffoli. Ebner explained that he has been following very closely the two consecutive years in which the Italian hunting calendars have been reduced through the exercise of substitute power. The president said he regretted the use of an emergency measure of this type for a simple request for information from the European Commission.
FACE believes that the Ministry's measure is a real renunciation of protecting the rights of Italian citizens, also because other member states are accustomed to adopt firmer attitudes on similar occasions and in full compliance with community laws. Ebner wants to make the federation's technical and legal services available to resolve the case in the interest of Italy. The paradox, however, is represented by the Brussels question with no answer despite the intervention of the dicastery on hunting calendars. Precisely for this reason the EU Pilot is still open.
As recalled by FACE, the European Commission's guide to the discipline of hunting expressly allows the regions of the member states to decide the dates of the hunting seasons that are different from the Key Concept of some species, as long as there is scientific data to support the decision. The judgments of the regional administrative courts of Liguria and Tuscany have highlighted how these same data are the discriminating factor in the definition of hunting calendars, therefore the federation hopes that the Ministry of the Environment does not interrupt the legitimate activity without any valid reason.
For Ebner, the sentences just mentioned are clear testimony that the Italian regions have worked well, filling the gaps in ISPRA and updating scientific data on the pre-nuptial migration of some birds with personal studies. The invitation addressed to Galletti is to recognize the validity of the studies and to implement a data collection and processing plan, in order to create a national committee in which hunting associations can also participate and that it is able to resolve the conflict between the various stakeholders. In the same way, the president believes that a concrete and correct solution can be found to the problem of transfers, perhaps with a small amount withdrawal.