The contentious Central Link traffic project is not yet a European Union-funded project and as such it is not yet under the remit of the EU’s sustainable transport policy, the European Commission has said.

In reply to a European Parliamentary Question tabled by Nationalist MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Creţu said:“Should the project be selected for Cohesion Fund support, the Commission services may request further information from the Managing Authority in order to ensure compliance with EU legislation and sustainable transport policy.”

Zammit Dimech had raised the issue of the impact of road infrastructure on residents, farmers and cyclists, noting that “Malta’s proposed ‘Central Link Project’ will see an increase in road infrastructure in the centre of Malta. The project will be completed using the EU Cohesion Fund, whose investment priorities include preserving and protecting the environment, protecting and restoring soil and measures to improve environmentally friendly (including low-noise) transport systems.

“Stakeholders who feel they will be impacted by the project, such as residents who live on affected roads, farmers who have land next to these roads and cyclists, have raised various concerns about the project. These are centred on the fact that traffic and resulting emissions will be brought closer to their homes, extensive stretches of agricultural land will be taken over by roads and the safety of cyclists may be compromised. Furthermore, it seems that no social or traffic impact assessments have been made. Moreover, stakeholders have claimed that they have not been consulted.”

He asked whether the Commission felt that the way the project is being proposed “reflects the spirit and priorities of the Cohesion Fund and the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) promoted by the Commission”.

But since the Maltese authorities to date have only informed the Commission services that the Central Link Project had been submitted for financing but that it was still at the selection stage, the Commission was unable to weigh in with its opinion.