Overview
- The Senate voted 80 in favour, 56 against and 2 abstentions on Tuesday to approve DDL 1552, the 20‑article 'Malan' overhaul, and the text now moves to the Chamber of Deputies for further debate.
- The bill broadens where and when hunting is allowed, expands species that can be taken, permits night‑time equipment such as night‑vision and sound‑lures, and gives regions greater power over hunting calendars.
- A key technical change downgrades Ispra’s binding scientific advice to a consultative role, a shift critics say removes legal checks tied to Article 9 of the Constitution and the EU Birds and Habitats directives.
- Environmental groups, scientists and opposition parties organised mass protests, launched petitions with hundreds of thousands of signatures, and warned of legal challenges and a likely European Commission infringement procedure.
- Supporters, including Fratelli d'Italia and the League, argue the law modernises rules to protect farms and public safety from wildlife, while divisions inside the centre‑right and public opposition raise the prospect of parliamentary amendments or a referendum fight later on.