Umbria opposes the early closure of thrush, cesena and woodcock hunting

Councilor Fernanda Cecchini illustrated the junta's point of view and the desire to close the hunting calendar on January 31st.

Yesterday the position of Federcaccia Veneto against the region for the early closure of the hunting calendar. Today the discussions concern the same topic, even if the protagonist is the Umbria Region and in a different context. Fernanda Cecchini, councilor for hunting, wanted to underline how the junta is valid hunting calendar 2015-2016, i.e. the one that has been prepared and approved in compliance with national law. Consequently, the Region will not close the hunting for song thrush, cesena and woodcock species, despite a decree of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers has imposed the date of January 20 next.

According to the commissioner, the same criticalities of a year ago are recurring, a situation that could have been avoided by modifying the national legislation and making it consistent with that of the Community. Among other things, this intervention had been requested by the regions during the technical table with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment. For Cecchini, the government does not consider it necessary to adapt law 157 of 1992, which sets the closing date of the hunting calendar for the species mentioned above as January 31st.

The government decree warns not only Umbria, but also Tuscany, Liguria, Marche, Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Puglia, Calabria and Lombardy to anticipate the hunting closure within 15 days, in order to conform the regional calendars to the directives of the European Union. Should there be any non-compliance, the Government will change the hunting calendars that have been approved by the regions by exploiting the substitute power.

The commissioner recalled how for some time the councils have been clamoring to the competent minister to confirm or modify the hunting periods that are established in theArticle 18 of the national legislation (entitled “Huntable species and periods of hunting activity”), while at the same time supporting the uniformity of the provisions on the subject in the community. In January 2015 there was a commissioner, a hypothesis that is not so remote even in this 2016.

The Region undertook a year ago to find solutions to the main problems, trying to avoid possible infringement proceedings against Italy by Brussels. Umbria is not willing to suffer the imposition of early closure and is asking Palazzo Chigi for clarify the obligations and hunting periods: in addition, it is requested not to pass on the responsibilities to the regions for any violations of Community directives.