“The unpopular decisions taken three years ago by the government to deal with the difficulties of waste streams, have steered Malta clear of the waste collection problems that the Italian region of Campagna is currently facing,” Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino said yesterday.

He was speaking at the Austrian embassy during the finalisation of a twinning project between the Austrian embassy and Malta.

He said that the difficulties encountered at present in the Italian region were a result of the dismissal of a waste management plan that was received with disdain by the public, and was consequently shelved and forgotten.

“The way forward with regard to waste streams is far from over, as further decisions must be taken,” Minister Pullicino said.

Waste management generated a lot of negativity from the public, and for this matter one of the purposes which the twinning project brought into light was the important focus on PR and communication strategies, he said.

Educating public officers on how to market waste management plans is one form of roping in stakeholder participation in the planning process for waste-to-energy, and construction and demolition waste.

Dr Pullicino said that the legal and technical expertise offered by the Austrian consultants on the upgrade of the thermal treatment plant at the abattoir in Marsa contributed to ward off a waste management crisis in Malta. He also thanked them for the support they gave for the licensing process from MEPA.

On her behalf, the Austrian ambassador to Malta, Dr Elisabeth Kehler, said that such projects went beyond European law and legislation, as they helped to create more contacts and lasting friendships. She said that the positive result of this twinning has triggered future twinning projects with new EU member states.

The EU-funded twinning project, which cost e675,000 ran for 21 months and was part of the 2005 National Transition Facility Programme for Malta. The aim of the project was to provide local experts with technical assistance to improve their waste management skills and implement the solid waste management strategy according to national and international obligations.