The question of the MEPs Marco Dreosto, Massimo Casanova, Marco Campomenosi e Danilo Oscar Lancini on live calls in Lombardy received the reply from the European Commission. Brussels was asked to clarify the situation regarding the region and compliance with Community legislation on the supply of the same recalls. Here is what he wrote about it: “Lombardy's regional resolution no. XI / 2087 of July 31 2019, to which the Honorable Members refer, aimed to authorize the capture of 12700 birds belonging to four species in the region concerned in order to supply local hunters with live calls.
By letter dated 8 October 2019, the Commission services expressed concern to Italy about the aforementioned decision which appeared to be reintroduce practices already considered in violation of the Birds Directive 1. Indeed, in 2014 the Commission launched an infringement procedure against similar trapping practices in several regions.
The case could only be closed following a change in the national law 157/1992 (Article 4), annulment, by the Italian government, of some regional legal acts not compliant with the Birds Directive and commitment of the Italian government to resort to the control mechanism provided for by thearticle 19 bis of law 157/1992 for any other regional decisions of this type. On 6 November 2019, the Italian government canceled the aforementioned resolution of the Lombardy Region, believing that it violated both the national law 157/1992 and the Birds directive. This decision responds to the concerns raised by the Commission ”.