This statement is simply untrue, the NGOs said, and serves only to put NGOs in a very bad light, making them out to be fund grabbing mercenaries. The NGOs consider this an insult to the NGO community, which strives, often at great personal sacrifice by its members, to make a valid contribution to the threatened environment of the Maltese Islands.

The financial matter raised at the meeting was in fact the question whether sources of funding had been secured, or at least identified in order to bring the marine conservation to fruition.

The importance of the point raised is evident, and was in fact reiterated by none other than the German management consultant at the meeting.

Mepa’s statement, the NGOs added, in fact failed to address the issue raised by the NGOs in their media release that they were only being allowed to send a representative to a special work group if they nominated such representative by consensus. While NGOs, similar no doubt to many organizations in the democratic world, endeavour to operate by consensus, this is not always possible, as was the case in question when NGOs were given three working days to nominate a representative.

NGOs hope that Mepa will ensure NGO representation at environment working groups in future in accordance with one of the Aarhus principles of public participation in the environment decision making process.

The statement was signed by Friends of the Earth (Malta), BICREF, The Gaia Foundation, Din l-Art Helwa and Greenpeace