Case C-557/15: Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 21 June 2018 — European Commission v Republic of Malta (Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive 2009/147/EC — Conservation of wild birds — Live-capturing and keeping — Species belonging to the finch family — Prohibition — National derogation regime — Member States’ power of derogation — Conditions)
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Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 21 June 2018 — European Commission v Republic of Malta
(Case C-557/15) ( 1 )
‛(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations — Directive 2009/147/EC — Conservation of wild birds — Live-capturing and keeping — Species belonging to the finch family — Prohibition — National derogation regime — Member States’ power of derogation — Conditions)’2018/C 285/02Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: European Commission (represented by: K. Mifsud-Bonnici and C. Hermes, acting as Agents)
Defendant: Republic of Malta (represented by: A. Buhagiar, acting as Agent, and by J. Bouckaert, advocaat, and L. Cassar Pullicino, avukat)
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
1.
Declares that, by adopting a derogation regime allowing the live-capturing of seven species of wild finches (Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, Linnet Carduelis cannabina, Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis, Greenfinch Carduelis chloris, Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes, Serin Serinus serinus and Siskin Carduelis spinus), the Republic of Malta has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 5(a) and (e) and Article 8(1) of Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds, read in conjunction with Article 9(1) of that directive;
2.
Orders the Republic of Malta to pay the costs.
( 1 ) OJ C 7, 11.1.2016.
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