House debates MEPA’s financial estimates, positive reaction to MEPA split

The planned split of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority has led to a positive discussion in the House of Representatives with both sides of the House agreeing that the split could prove to be beneficial to ensure sustainable development while focusing more on the protection of the environment.

The House this evening was debating a motion to approve MEPA’s budgetary estimates for this year.

Tabling the motion, parliamentary secretary for planning Michael Falzon said consultation on the MEPA demerger was still ongoing and he looked forward to closer cooperation with the Nationalist Opposition – a sentiment that was reciprocated by shadow minister Ryan Callus.

“We are after achieving a balance between sustainable development and safeguarding the environment. Safeguarding the environment however doesn’t mean blocking any new development because development does not necessarily lead to degradation of the environment,” Falzon said.

The junior minister urged policy makers not to procrastinate on the decisions that need to be taken, where on one side there are complaints of wasting too much time while on the other fears are raised when the process is expedite.

The almost three-hour debate saw both sides of the House agreeing that farmers had been unnecessarily burdened with red tape even when applying for a water reservoir or develop a greenhouse or a shed for tools.

Kicking off the debate, Environment Minister Leo Brincat said the operations of the Environment and Resources Authority and the Development Planning Authority would be the litmus test of the MEPA split.

Pointing out that the PN had initially criticised heavily the MEPA split, Brincat said he was pleased to note that the Opposition had now changed its political direction.

“There is now consensus that the MEPA split will prove beneficial to both the development and environment arms.

Brincat said the government was not only aiming for an efficient planning system but to ensure commitment in safeguarding the environment. He expressed satisfaction at how the environment ministry was working closely with MEPA to ensure a smooth transition of the demerger.

The minister said that while along the years there were several good ideas, many of these either remained on paper or were partially implemented.

Brincat pointed out that Malta had a long way to go if it had to abide by the EU regulations and respect the obligations Malta has a full member of the European Union.

“But to address these challenges we need specific structures,” he said.

In order to safeguard the environment, Brincat suggested that the authority should also focus on self-regulation. He argued that self-regulation could strengthen compliance and enforcement measures.

On his part, shadow minister Ryan Callus expressed satisfaction at how a number of proposals put forward by the Opposition were taken on board. He went as far as welcoming the change in the parliamentary secretary responsible for planning arguing that, under Falzon, the PN’s proposals were being considered.

Callus, whose comments were then echoed by Labour backbencher Joe Sammut, said it was unacceptable that a farmer had to spend months waiting just for a permit for a greenhouse.

He admitted that policies developed in the past may have been too harsh with the farmers.

The Nationalist MP went on to list the proposals made by the PN and urged the government to reconsider the compositon of the Appeals Tribunal Board. According to Callus, members of the board should be full-timers and should not be involved in any other companies or entities that could give rise to conflict of interest.