BirdLife Malta has issued an open letter to EU Executive Vice President Maroš Šefčovič, calling for immediate action to stop the illegal trapping of finches in Malta.

In the open letter, the environmental organisation is urging the European Commission to take decisive measures against the Maltese government for repeatedly defying European Union laws and court rulings that ban the practice.

The letter highlights Malta’s long-standing commitment to phasing out finch trapping as part of its 2004 EU Accession Treaty, which set 2009 as the deadline for a complete ban. However, in 2014, Malta reintroduced finch trapping through a derogation, effectively bypassing its earlier commitment.

This move prompted the European Commission to take legal action, which led to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) declaring the practice illegal in 2018.

Despite this clear ruling, the Maltese government attempted to sidestep the ban by introducing what it called a “scientific derogation” to justify finch trapping. In a 2024 ruling (case 23/23), the ECJ once again determined that the trapping of finches remains illegal under EU law.

In its letter, BirdLife Malta expresses deep concern that the Maltese government has ignored both the 2018 and 2024 ECJ decisions and has continued to allow finch trapping.

It condemns this disregard for EU rulings, calling it a violation of democratic principles, EU law, and the wishes of the Maltese public, the majority of whom oppose the practice.

BirdLife Malta accuses the government of manipulating legal frameworks and undermining the authority of the European Union. The group is now appealing to the European Commission to invoke Article 260 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which allows the EU to take further action against member states that fail to comply with court rulings.

BirdLife Malta argues that this step is necessary to close the illegal trapping season and hold Malta accountable for its continued breach of EU obligations.

The organisation’s appeal comes at a critical time, as finch trapping continues to threaten local bird populations, and Malta’s defiance poses a broader challenge to the enforcement of EU environmental laws.

What do you make of this open letter?