Three e-NGOs accuse MEPA of breaching EU procedure

Three Environmental NGOs have accused MEPA of violating EU procedure by excluding e-NGOs from the launch of the latest reform legislation which deals with, amongst other things, the MEPA de-merger.

Friends of the Earth Malta, together with Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar and the Ramblers Association, have issued a joint statement about MEPA's launch of new reform legislation. Contrary to normal practice, this major milestone is being launched at a presentation limited to the development sector, the NGOs argue. “This is a violation of EU laws which stipulate that civil society represented by e-NGOs are to be involved in environmental and planning issues.”

In addition to exclusion from the planning process, MEPA has also violated EU procedure in the processing of major projects like that of the Mriehel towers, which was included in the FAR policy after the closure of the public consultation period, claim the environmental organisations, arguing that in doing so, it had denied stakeholders the opportunity to participate in decision-making for the area.

“MEPA promised that a second public consultation phase will be held once the new Local Plan policies and maps are completed. This is a travesty of correct planning procedures: a development of this magnitude cannot be decided upon before new planning guidelines for the area are established.”

“In fact, the MEPA objectives for Mriehel reported on a number of aspects which argue against such developments as the Mriehel Towers. These include the blocking of and interference with 'ong distance strategic views from Mdina towards Valletta'; the generation of greatly increased traffic on roads that are already badly congested during peak hours, with the consequent increase in air pollution, now known to have major effects on health.”

They accuse the regulator of showing contempt for civil society, pointing to its treatment of the Siggiewi application for a building on agricultural land in ODZ. “In the face of an obviously fraudulent letter which was crucial in getting the application approved, PS Roderick Galdes took over two months to “investigate” the matter. He has now presented his conclusions to MEPA, after the deadline for the start of work on the site. Neither PS Galdes nor MEPA are in any hurry to publish their report and/or conclusions on, it must be repeated, a transparently fraudulent letter. Meanwhile the work on the site goes on: a monument to Galdes’ and MEPA’s contempt of civil society.”

The organisations questioned whether the regulator or indeed the government actually cared about legality or residents' health, reminding the latter that “Malta is made up of over 450,000 residents (and votes), not just the few hundred developers whose interests it promotes so assiduously.”