§ Lord Kilbrackenasked Her Majesty's Government:
In view of the massacre in mainland EC countries of a reported 900 million wild birds annually, many of them on migration to or from the British Isles, what pressure they will bring to bear on the relevant governments to secure the effective enforcement of Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds, which requires member states to prohibit their 1002WA "deliberate killing or capture by any method" with certain minor exceptions.
The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (The Earl of Caithness)It is for member states themselves, in the first instance, to introduce legislation in line with the directive's requirements and to ensure that it is applied effectively. The EC Commission has responsibility for checking that adequate measures have been taken and that the directive is complied with in practice; it has demonstrated its willingness to use its available powers and several states have recently been found guilty by the European Court for failing fully to implement the directive. The Government fully support the directive and its enforcement.