§ Mr. LetwinTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he voted in the Council of Ministers to allow the shooting of migratory birds in Malta for five years after the Maltese join the EU. [93580]
§ Mr. MacShaneAs part of the package agreed during the EU accession negotiations, Malta was granted one transition period until the end of 2008 in order to phase out the trapping of seven types of finch and establish a captive breeding programme. Malta is also entitled, like existing member states, to apply a derogation under Article 9 of the Birds Directive which will allow the practice of the taking of quail and turtle dove in spring to continue. The Copenhagen European Council agreed, unanimously, to the global package on enlargement, including for Malta.