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James Debono
Official sources within the European Commission have confirmed that an investigation is underway to establish whether the Maltese government’s plans to extend development zones by 2.4 per cent, is in breach of the European Union’s directive on strategic impact assessments (SEA).
The SEA directive clearly states that “modifications” to plans affecting land use and town and country planning should be submitted to a strategic impact assessment aimed at assessing the environmental impact of these plans.
The government is contending that the SEA directive is not applicable to the extension of boundaries because this was simply a continuation of the local plan process commenced in 1993, long before the directive became applicable in EU member states in 2004.
Yet by submitting a number of new lands, which were never considered at local plan level, and including others like Fekruna Bay in Saint Paul’s Bay or Valley Road in Msida, which had been excluded at local plan stage, the government has substantially modified these plans.
Even if the government is correctly interpreting the directive, the new boundaries have to be approved before 21st July, because the government was only given two years to approve plans commenced before the 2004.
The Labour media have accused the government of rushing the process through MEPA in order to avoid submitting its plans to a SEA.
According to official sources the Commission is currently assessing the grounds on which there may be a breach of the SEA Directive and this issue will be raised with the Maltese authorities.
“On the basis of this information, it is proposed to assess the grounds on which there may be a breach of the SEA Directive with a view to raising this issue with the Maltese authorities,” commission sources told MaltaToday.
According to Commission sources there have been no contacts with the Maltese government on this issue so far. The commission has only intervened now after receiving an email from MaltaToday.
“The issue of the application of the SEA directive has only now been brought to the attention of the Commission through MaltaToday’s email and through other correspondence raising the issue also received this week,” sources said.
Whenever information is brought to the Commission’s attention that a breach of EU legislation has occurred the Commission has powers to investigate this potential breach. Where a breach is identified, the Commission can commence infringement proceedings.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
Links: www.maltatoday.com.mt/2006/06/25/t8.html
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