PROACT MALTA NO SPRING HUNTING

WE MUST PERSUADE THE EU COMMISSION AND MEMBER STATES TO RESCIND THE DEROGATION AGREEMENT ON SPRING HUNTING FOR MALTA

It is important that member states, and the responsible commissioners, are aware of the degree of opposition by conservationists, birders and others to the exceptions being proposed to allow spring hunting on Malta.

A draft text is provided below. Send a mail or letter expressing your opposition by one of the following methods:

1. Use the text below; compose your own letter; or translate/write in your own language to either:

2. The Foreign and Environment Ministers of most of the EU states (some direct addresses were unavailable*) and the EU Commissioners for Enlargement (Günter Verheugen), Environment )Margot Wallström) and Regional Policy (Michel Barnier) – click on ‘DIRECT MAILING’ below. Or

3. Click on the ‘CONTACT EU STATES INDIVIDUALLY’ link, where all contact details are listed, for a list of all addresses to which you can send a letter, telefax or mail. As a minimum please try to email or write to the EU commissioners and your nationalForeign and Environment ministers.

4. Those writing separately or using their own texts (including national languages) are asked to copy their emails/letters – and of course any responses – to info@proactnow.org (or post address below) so that the impact of the campaign can be evaluated.

Note: In this age of open government only France, Germany,The Netherlands and the Spanish Foreign Ministries (Spain has NO address at all – I have mailed their Ombudsman) do NOT publicise direct mail addresses. For these countries you must use the web link and form provided in the contact list. The email addresses given on the Portuguese ministerial websites did not originally work. A request to the Ministry of Information was answered with the new mail addresses which have now been included!

[Letters/mails signed by ALL 700+ members of the Proact Team will be sent to ALL addressees!]

David Conlin
Proact International
Marathonallee 16
D-14052 Berlin
Germany

DIRECT MAILING

[For those with email programme problems the addresses are repeated here:
Guenter.Verheugen@cec.eu.int, Margot.Wallstrom@cec.eu.int, cabinet-barnier@cec.eu.int, minister.bmaa@ains.at, wilhelm.molterer@bmlfuw.gv.at, cab.ae@diplobel.org, jef.tavernier@minsoc.fed.be, mim@mim.dk, um@um.dk, Erkki.tuomioja@formin.fi, kirjaamo.um@formin.fi, kirjaamo.ym@ymparisto.fi, ministere@environnement.gouv.fr, poststelle@auswaertiges-amt.de, service@bmu.de, mfa@mfa.gr, minister@minenv.gr, library1@iveagh.irlgov.ie, press-office@environ.irlgov.ie, cdr@esteri.it, segreteria.ministro@minambiente.it, coordination@sip.etat.lu, info@sip.etat.lu, gmcota@mcota.gov.pt, inf-imprensa@mne.gov.pt, area.informacion@vgt.mma.es, monica.andersson@foreign.ministry.se, registrator@foreign.ministry.se, registrator@environment.ministry.se, environment2@fco.gov.uk, helpline@defra.gsi.gov.uk, info@proactnow.org]

CONTACT EU STATES

A DANGEROUS AND UNDEMOCRATIC PRECEDENT FOR EUROPE

Dear Minister,
Dear Commissioner

In the negotiations on the accession of Malta to the European Union, the responsible Commission officials have – inter alia – granted a derogation for spring hunting of Common Quail Coturnix coturnix and Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur on the islands.

Not only are these birds on the Red List of severely threatened species in many European countries, the decision to permit spring hunting in a European Union state is completely at variance to the provisions of the Bird Directive [79/409/EEC] and is a dangerous precedent and encouragement for hunters’ organisations in the EU. The latter would like to overturn the protection for our common natural resources which this directive, and the Habitats Directive [93/43/EEC], provides.

There are two main reasons for rescinding this derogation for Malta:

The continual annual illegal slaughter of hundreds of protected migrant birds over, around and on the islands. The Maltese hunters are undisciplined and regularly break the law which is poorly enforced. The official Maltese hunters’ organisation, the FKNK, have time and time again shown their inability to control their 15,000 members and are extremely hostile towards any from of criticism.

Birdlife Malta has denounced the derogation agreement in strong terms. In addition, in a recent opinion survey, a heavy bias by the majority of the population against present hunting practices, and the proposed exceptions on EU accession, was recorded.

If this derogation for Malta is permitted to stand it will represent a missed opportunity by the EU to take a strong stand against the bi-annual massacres of European migrating species in Malta; a severe setback for Maltese and European conservationists and nature lovers who have campaigned against these barbaric excesses for years; and a potentially dangerous undermining of the conservation measures which play such an important part in the preservation of our dwindling common European wildlife and other natural resources.

We appeal to you and your government to use the opportunity at the coming Copenhagen summit to prevent the erosion of European laws which the members of the European Union have successfully abided by for more than 20 years by actively seeking the annulment of the hunting derogation for Malta.

We remain, in the hope that you share our concern for this unnecessary additional pressure on our natural world,

Yours sincerely,

[Name and Address]

[This letter has been sent to Foreign/Europe Ministers of all EU Member states and to the responsible EU commissioners.]