Senate Approves Controversial Hunting Law Reform; Environmental Groups Launch Major ProtestsItaly Replaces 1992 Hunting Regulations With Expanded Framework; European Commission Warns of Infringement RiskThe Italian Senate has approved a comprehensive hunting law reform that replaces regulations in effect since 1992, fundamentally redefining the role of hunters and expanding the geographic areas and time periods when hunting is permitted. The bill, DDL 1552, arrived at the Senate chamber on June 17, 2026, and was approved after a week of deliberation, with the legislation now nicknamed the "legge sparatutto" (shoot-everything law) by environmental critics.  The reform was drafted by Lucio Malan, Fratelli d'Italia, alongside leaders of all governing coalition parties including Massimiliano Romeo (Lega), Maurizio Gasparri (Forza Italia), and Giorgio Salvitti (Noi moderati). The vote passed 80 in favor and 56 against, with the twenty-article bill now moving to the Chamber of Deputies for final approval.  The central change reverses the philosophical basis of hunting regulation. The 1992 law conceived hunting as an exception to wildlife protection, tolerating animal killing only in specified periods and locations while maintaining wildlife as the fundamental protected principle. The new law inverts this logic, making hunting an "activity useful to conservation and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems." Hunters are now recognized as "bioregulators" of territory rather than as exceptions to protective rules.  The reform expands hunting areas, allowing regions to include protected zones and parks within the territory allocated to hunting activities. It permits hunting during migration, nesting, reproduction and dependency phases previously protected. Night vision devices and silencers are now permitted, making nocturnal hunting possible. Unlimited use of live birds as auditory decoys (richiami vivi) is authorized.  Additional provisions allow hunting on private lands with licenses issued to foreign hunters, place no limits on construction of hunting posts, and open state marine zones to firearms use. Wild boar hunting receives particular expansion, with extended duration and geographic zones authorized following claims of agricultural damage and road accidents caused by the species.  The opposition submitted nearly 900 amendments to the chamber and environmental organizations mounted coordinated protests, with six major groups (Enpa, LAC, Lav, Legambiente, LIPU and WWF Italia) organizing demonstrations at Piazza del Pantheon in Rome concurrent with the Senate vote. The organizations characterized the vote as "unacceptable violence against nature" contrary to the will of the majority of Italians and scientific evidence, warning that forests will resemble shooting ranges without rules. The European Commission has informally warned that Italy risks infringement procedures for violations of the Habitats and Birds Directives, while the permanent committee of the Bern Convention has formally requested clarifications from the Environment Ministry regarding compatibility with Italy's international commitments. 

Senate Approves Controversial Hunting Law Reform; Environmental Groups Launch Major ProtestsItaly Replaces 1992 Hunting Regulations With Expanded Framework; European Commission Warns of Infringement Risk The Italian Senate has approved a comprehensive hunting law reform that replaces regulations in effect since 1992, fundamentally redefining the role of hunters and expanding the geographic areas and time periods when hunting is permitted. The bill, DDL 1552, arrived at the Senate chamber on June 17, 2026, and was approved after a week of deliberation, with the legislation now nicknamed the "legge sparatutto" (shoot-everything law) by environmental critics.  The reform was drafted by Lucio Malan, Fratelli d'Italia, alongside leaders of all governing coalition parties including Massimiliano Romeo (Lega), Maurizio Gasparri (Forza Italia), and Giorgio Salvitti (Noi moderati). The vote passed 80 in favor and 56 against, with the twenty-article bill now moving to the Chamber of Deputies for final approval.  The central change reverses the philosophical basis of hunting regulation. The 1992 law conceived hunting as an exception to wildlife protection, tolerating animal killing only in specified periods and locations while maintaining wildlife as the fundamental protected principle. The new law inverts this logic, making hunting an "activity useful to conservation and protection of biodiversity and ecosystems." Hunters are now recognized as "bioregulators" of territory rather than as exceptions to protective rules.  The reform expands hunting areas, allowing regions to include protected zones and parks within the territory allocated to hunting activities. It permits hunting during migration, nesting, reproduction and dependency phases previously protected. Night vision devices and silencers are now permitted, making nocturnal hunting possible. Unlimited use of live birds as auditory decoys (richiami vivi) is authorized.  Additional provisions allow hunting on private lands with licenses issued to foreign hunters, place no limits on construction of hunting posts, and open state marine zones to firearms use. Wild boar hunting receives particular expansion, with extended duration and geographic zones authorized following claims of agricultural damage and road accidents caused by the species.  The opposition submitted nearly 900 amendments to the chamber and environmental organizations mounted coordinated protests, with six major groups (Enpa, LAC, Lav, Legambiente, LIPU and WWF Italia) organizing demonstrations at Piazza del Pantheon in Rome concurrent with the Senate vote. The organizations characterized the vote as "unacceptable violence against nature" contrary to the will of the majority of Italians and scientific evidence, warning that forests will resemble shooting ranges without rules. The European Commission has informally warned that Italy risks infringement procedures for violations of the Habitats and Birds Directives, while the permanent committee of the Bern Convention has formally requested clarifications from the Environment Ministry regarding compatibility with Italy's international commitments.