Martin Seychell is the new director of environment at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

A graduate in chemistry, Mr Seychell specialised in chemical analysis.

He has held important positions on several government boards and commissions including the food safety committee and the pesticides board. To date, Mr Seychell occupied the post of head of directorate at the Malta Standards Authority.

Mr Seychell has also been responsible for the implementation of a number of EU directives. In this area, he has actively participated in negotiations on major technical proposals such as the new chemicals legislation, REACH, and in screening processes in the areas of free movement of goods, the environment and agriculture.

As director of environment, Mr Seychell will be responsible for a broad range of functions arising from the Environment Protection Act. He assumed his duties yesterday.