A new ruling reignites the debate on hunting in Italy and on respect for biodiversity. The TAR of Milan annulled the measures with which the Lombardy Region authorized the hunting taking of finches and starlings in derogation for the 2025/2026 hunting season.
The decision comes after the appeal presented by various environmental associations – ENPA, LAC, LAV, LIPU, LNDC Animal Protection and WWF Italy – and represents, according to the appellant organisations, an important victory for the protection of wildlife.
With sentence no. 00976/2026, the administrative court effectively reiterated a key principle: hunting protected species cannot be considered an ordinary practice and the exceptions provided for by European legislation must remain extraordinary and strictly motivated exceptions.
Because the TAR canceled the hunting exemptions
According to the TAR, the Lombardy Region has not demonstrated the necessary conditions to apply the exemption provided for by the European Union Birds Directive, which authorizes the taking of normally protected species in exceptional cases.
Among the critical points highlighted in the ruling are:
The court therefore established that the measure did not comply with the requirements of community legislation.
Almost 100 thousand finches and over 36 thousand starlings authorized to hunt
The regional resolution authorized the killing of 97,637 finches and 36,552 starlings between 1 October and 30 November. Disproportionate and illegitimate quotas, according to environmental associations, which would have had a significant impact on wildlife.
Already in 2025 the Council of State had suspended the same regional resolution with ordinance no. 3968, accepting the reasons of the associations. However, the suspension came when the hunting season was well advanced and, according to environmentalists, thousands of birds had already been killed.
“No more electoral gifts to the detriment of wildlife”
Environmental organizations speak of an important decision for the protection of biodiversity and accuse regional politics of continuing to propose measures contrary to European standards. According to the associations, every year public resources and administrative personnel are used to approve resolutions which then end up being annulled by the courts.
Biodiversity wins over political obstinacy, declare the recurring associations, denouncing what they define as “bureaucratic fury against protected species”.
The associations also warn that the attempt to reintroduce similar exemptions for the next hunting seasons could expose Italy to infringement procedures by the European Union. According to environmentalists, this is a real risk, given that the EU Court of Justice has already spoken out several times against the improper use of hunting exemptions.
For this reason the organizations have formally warned the Lombardy Region and the other regional administrations from proposing similar measures for the next hunting season.
The principle reiterated by environmentalists is clear: wildlife is the unavailable heritage of the State and cannot become the object of political choices or concessions linked to electoral consensus.
The ruling of the TAR of Milan therefore represents, according to the associations, an important precedent for the future of the protection of biodiversity in Italy, in a context in which the protection of ecosystems and wild species is increasingly central in the environmental debate.
