Minister denies MEPA demerger serves the interests of the development lobby

Environmental NGO Din l-Art Helwa (DLH) today said that the forthcoming demerger of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) would enable the new Planning Authority to process development applications with less checks and balances. 

“The implementation of this demerger is mainly geared towards serving the interests of the development lobby,” DLH said.

It added that as a result of the separation between the planning and environment arms, the new Environment Authority would be reduced to the position of an “external consultee.”

The NGO pointed out that the complete lack of interest shown by the Environment Minister Leo Brincat in the consultation process for the important new ODZ policy that is currently being drawn up by MEPA, “does not augur well at all.”

“The environment ministry seems to be aiming to wash its hands of any responsibility for planning decisions when land use is one of Malta’s major environmental concerns, especially due to the country’s small size and high population density.”

Insisting that the environment must be given due importance as one of the three pillars of sustainable development, DLH said that this would not be achieved by the MEPA demerger.

“The great majority of the proposals for the demerger aim to lessen restrictions in planning decisions and to dismantle environmental safeguards,” it said.

Moreover, no emphasis is being placed on positive and tangible measures which will work towards solving the environmental challenges that Malta is facing, many of which are caused by overdevelopment, the NGO added.

In reaction, the environment ministry denied that it was ducking responsibility and pointed out that the views expressed by DLH and other NGO was not shared by all. 

Leo Brincat said that when he was reconfirmed as environment minister following the recent reshuffle, a number of NGOs publicly and privately backed his appointment.

Moreover, the minister said that although the consultation process over MEPA’s demerger was over, “we are willing to accept proposals and suggestions at the legislative stage.”