Prof. Cassola was addressing the press to announce thatFriends of the Earth. (FOE) will be supporting him at the EP election.

He said that there were a number of niches for eco-tourism in Malta, among others, giving examples with agro-tourism and culture tourism as examples.

He said other countries were attracting tourists to “walking holidays”, adding that these could in turn help regenerate the numerous countryside pathways that are presently abandoned similar to those along the Victoria lines.

AD Chairman Harry Vassallo called FOE’s endorsement a prestigious one and said the organisation had a proven track record, locally and throughout Europe.

FOE Chairman Edward Mallia on the other hand said that his organisation’s relationship with AD was always positive.

Prof. Mallia said that especially since 1995 Cassola’s indirect involvement with the European Parliament (EP), he was instrumental in bringing some local issues to the parliament. In particular he recalled the a recent debate over the governments waste management and Mnajdra landfill plans.

Asked by The Malta Independent to react to the Nationalist Party’s claim that an AD seat would merely weaken Malta’s position in the EP, Dr Vassallo said that Malta needed to be represented as much as possible.

He took as an example MLPs membership in the European Socialists, saying that if Malta had their backing through the MLP at negotiation stage added to the others, we would have probably got a better deal on the importation of plastic bottles.

Prof. Cassola also reacted to this comment, saying that no single party could pass a law in the EP. The European Popular Parties (EPP) with their 230- 260 seats, he said, still need some 100 more seats to pass a law, a fact which called for Maltese participation in as many blocs as possible.