The extension of building permits lying in Outside Development Zones (ODZ) violates the SEA Directive, Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Harry Vassallo said yesterday. Now that EU directives are part of Maltese law no government can do what it wants as if running a sultanate, he said during a press conference in Birzebbuga.
Besides AD’s complaint lodged with Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, the Commission received several other complaints from Maltese citizens, affirmed the AD chairperson, adding that the Commission’s Environment Directorate-General stepped up its assessment of the situation following the presentation of AD’s own study on the subject carried out in July.
Dr Vassallo said the last-minute changes made to the local plans prepared by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) several years before are against the SEA Directive, which is now part of Maltese law. The AD chairman stressed that these modifications devalued the previous process, which involved the preparation of detailed plans, policy papers and exhaustive public consultation. He added that “no court in Europe will be able to accept the bare-faced statement that it was not feasible to subject the extension proposals to the full effect of the SEA Directive as claimed by the Maltese government.”
AD, together with residents affected by the ODZ extension, will seek judicial remedies in Malta against the government and its agencies attempting to give effect to the illegal development boundary extensions, Dr Vassallo said.
He added that the party is in contact with residents’ groups so that each family would have the opportunity to make its objections.
Dr Vassallo said that AD will ensure that the extensions are either withdrawn by government or subjected to the most thorough scrutiny according to EU law.
Dr Vassallo concluded that the proposed destruction of areas such as the Tal-Papa fields is evidence of the complete insensitivity of this government to environmental considerations.
He added that “this proves that the government’s own electoral destiny comes before the real and fully documented needs of the country”.