An official delegation of the Lombardy Region will go to the European Commission to define the regulatory framework within which to insert the hunting activity in derogation avoiding to incur sanctions or infringement procedures by the European Union.
Last December the Lombardy Regional Council had foreseen direct contacts between the Regional Commission “Agriculture, parks and water resources” and the European Commission in order to define the hunting measures for the next season according to the right criteria.
Already last February the same Lombard commission had officially asked the Regional Council "to implement any useful initiative to oblige ISPRA to express a mandatory opinion on the consistency of huntable species", thus calling ISPRA to fully fulfill its duties.
Thus a delegation of the Regional Commission "Agriculture, parks and water resources" composed of the Vice President of the Council, Carlo Saffioti, the President of the Commission Mauro Parolini, and the Regional Councilors Vanni Ligasacchi, Alessandro Marelli, Mario Barboni and Valerio Bettoni, will meet the European Commission.
In particular, the Lombard delegation will meet the representatives of the Legal and Litigation Office at ItalRap, Permanent Representation of Italy to the European Union and subsequently participate in the working meeting to be held at the Directorate General for the Environment of the European Commission "Infringements Directorate ".
The president of the Lombard Commission, Mauro Parolini, explained “A recommendation that was necessary since from 2005 ISPRA declares that it is unable to provide the data requested according to the criteria set by the European Union. This non-compliance by ISPRA is the main reason for the infringement procedures launched by the European Union against the Lombard hunting laws ”.
The Lombard Commission itself, following the proposal of Councilor Ligasacchi, undertook to launch the Regional Observatory of natural habitats and wildlife populations by the deadline of next April: In this way, Ligasacchi explained, "In the absence of the opinions of ISPRA, to legislate we will in fact be able to make use of the opinions expressed by this Observatory, which have equal value and legitimacy ”.
Finally, Saffioti and Parolini conclude, explaining “We are working across the board in the Regional Council so that the provisions of the Region on hunting are ever more consistent and respectful of the traditions of Lombard hunting practice. We intend to promote every useful action both in Rome and in Brussels so that, in compliance with the European directive, hunting activity is guaranteed and practiced in Lombardy as well as in many other European countries ".