It has rebuked the government and opposition for saying that it was in our national interest to veto the proposal.

Tougher fines and increasing the liability of owners’ regarding accidents that cause pollution would be steps towards deterring more Erikas and Prestiges from European waters. The NGO pointed out that these were only the last in a long line of incidents of large-scale sea pollution from tankers that caused great harm to local economies and wildlife.

Nature Trust said it believed that it was in the national interest to support efforts to prevent such episodes from occurring in European waters. Such regulations were also meant to keep disasters away from the Mediterranean, the busiest sea route for merchant shipping. “It is in the national interest to avoid events which, if they occur, would destroy Maltese tourism and fisheries,” a spokesman said. Additionally, the NGO said it wondered whether the government and opposition were aware of the environmental reasons that fuelled the popular push towards EU membership.