An investment in scientific surveys to protect the marine area around Filfla

Another project implemented by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority with the support of structural funds and, more precisely, the European Regional Development Fund, is an initiative to conduct marine scientific surveys in the area around Filfla to ensure its conservation.

Although the area around the islet was declared a marine nature reserve in 1988, it was important to assess the state of the marine ecosystem, identify marine habitats and species and establish a management and monitoring plan for the area. Following the approval of e200,000 for the project, Mepa issued an international open tender for the carrying out of the study.

A team of Maltese and British scientists carried out acoustic and video surveys and took a number of samples, which were tested in a UK laboratory. An extensive diving survey was carried out resulting in a mapping of the topology of the seabed. The dive team, which included marine biologists, photographers and local divers, recorded the habitats and species encountered and described the physical features of the seabed.

The findings of the surveys served as a basis for the draft management and monitoring plan for the area, which is currently undergoing consultation with stakeholders and is in the final stages of preparation.

An investment in environmental enforcement capacity

In 2004, Mepa secured e250,000 from the EU for a capacity-building project aimed at improving the enforcement of environmental legislation. The project, funded through the EU Transitional Facility Programme for Malta (2004), was implemented in partnership with the Austrian Federal Environment Agency. It resulted in a comprehensive review of the enforcement framework across the environmental sector and recommendations for an improvement in coordination between the various organisations involved in environmental enforcement.

Mepa’s enforcement personnel, police officers, wardens, environmental NGOs and officials from various authorities and departments have benefited from a series of workshops. As part of the training programme, 25 enforcement officers and inspectors from Mepa obtained first-hand experience of how environmental legislation is enforced in other European countries through a week-long traineeship with environmental agencies in other EU member states.

An investment in nature protection regulatory capability

A total of e400,000 was allocated by the EU Transitional Facility Pro-gramme for 2004 for an ambitious 18-month project aimed at improving Malta’s capacity to achieve the goals set in both national and international legislation in the area of nature protection, particularly the EU Habitats and Birds Directives. Launched in October 2005, the project is being implemented jointly by the Austrian Federal Environment Agency and Mepa.

The project resulted in sector-wide training for all stakeholders through a series of seminars, targeted workshops and practical sessions dedicated to various aspects of implementation of management plans for SACs.

Investments in biosafety

With the support of the UNEP Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Mepa has set up a framework for the management of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) at national level, benefiting from an allocation of $116,000.

Malta has obligations to set up a National Biosafety Framework both under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety of the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as through a number of EU regulatory instruments. The GEF grant helped Malta fulfil these international obligations and the national obligations that stem from them.

Promoting the polluter pays principle

MEPA has obtained e200,000 from the EU Transitional Facility programme for a project that aims to build the necessary capacity in Malta to devise and implement a comprehensive package of environmental economic instruments applying the polluter pays principle in practice.

The principle is one of the cornerstones of the EU’s environmental policy, which has now been transposed into Maltese legislation and is based on the assumption that the cost of repairing environmental damage created by polluters should be borne by the polluters themselves.

Currently being jointly implemented by Mepa and the Finance Ministry, with the involvement of experts from other government agencies and stakeholders, the project will result in an assessment of instruments currently in place, and a three-year plan for the introduction of a package of instruments, possibly including a review of existing measures. The project will also include training workshops and an ex-post evaluation of the instruments’ performance.

Other investments in the

regulatory capability

Over the past two years, Mepa has implemented 10 expert missions financed by the TAIEX programme and six projects funded by the UK/Malta Action Plan programme, resulting in various important studies and training for Mepa personnel.

Mepa is also participating in six inter-regional cooperation networks financed by the EU Interreg programme, through which it obtains support for an exchange of expertise on topics ranging from the management of protected areas to cooperation in the field of spatial planning.

This year alone, Mepa secured an allocation of over e1.1 million for three projects financed by the transitional facility programme. The projects will be implemented in the coming months, and will result in the establishment of systems to regulate the management of hazardous waste, further development of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and Seveso permitting systems and the enhancement of present structures for the provision of environmental information to the public.

The new seven-year programming period (2007-2013) has the potential to offer unparalleled investment opportunities for the environment. e823 million is proposed to be allocated to the ERDF/ Cohesion Fund operational programme alone, which is 10 times more than the entire 2004-2006 programme. Apart from ERDF, environmental projects may also be funded by the European Social Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the Life programme, the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) and a host of other instruments.

As part of the government consultation process on the draft national Strategic Framework document and the draft Operational programmes, Mepa has made a number of submissions to ensure the environment is adequately represented among other national priorities. Mepa has also developed its own proposal pipeline for future programmes, which is currently under discussion with the managing authority and various stakeholders.

We have learned a lot from the implementation of projects and acquired new skills and capabilities that will enable us to be more effective and efficient in future endeavours. In deciding national investment priorities for future funding, we should all be guided by the principle of sustainable development, that successfully integrates the economic, social and environmental dimensions for a better quality of life.

Sergei Golovkin is an officer with the EU and Multilateral Affairs Unit at the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

Part I was carried yesterday