Malta was not able to reach the targets of the Landfill Directive by 2010 because of the delays in the commissioning of the Sant’Antnin Waste Treatment Plant, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi admitted.

The anaerobic digestion process was commissioned towards the end of November and will be completely operational in the coming months, Dr Gonzi told Leo Brincat (PL). That is when Malta will be nearing the 2010 targets.

According to the latest data by Eurostat, which relates to 2002, Malta was permitted to dispose of 106,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste in the landfills. According to the latest data by Mepa, between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2010 Malta disposed of 146,000 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste, that is around 40,000 tonnes more than the limit allowed to Malta for that same year.

Malta is taking a number of initiatives, Dr Gonzi added, to get to the 2010 target including the exportation of solid treated municipal waste and an increase in waste separation through initiatives such as ‘Recycle Tuesdays’ and bring-in sites. This is estimated to bring in a further 6,000 metric tonnes, so that the total municipal waste that is biodegradable in 2011 amounts to 50,000 tonnes.

Other phases of the plan, including the commissioning of Mechanical Biological Treatment plants in the North of Malta and in Gozo would help Malta get to the established targets.

Works at Fort St Angelo

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi gave a full description of emergency works that have been undertaken at Fort St Angelo in a parliamentary reply he gave to Owen Bonnici (PL).

The works to be done were identified in a report that was prepared in December 2008. Applications were then submitted to Mepa for the required works. The 2010 Budget allocated €1.5 million for these works.

Since then, much preparatory work has been undertaken, including surveying, Mepa applications, Cost Benefit Analysis and other related work.

In 2010, Heritage Malta restored the Siege Bell and other structures in peril on the Cavalier as well as in other parts of the fort, including the ramp’s wall. There has also been a lot of cleaning up and removal of rubbish by the HM employees. Work has also been undertaken on the archaeology of the main entrance of the fort so that a tender for the restoration of the entrance can be issued. Together with the MRRA Restoration Unit, work has also been undertaken on the Polverista, including replacing the ‘deffun’ on the roof.

The first contracts have been issued and allocated for emergency works, including the demolition of the swimming pool and associated structures. This work was begun in May and is expected to cost €91,000, VAT included. This call for tender was issued for the first time and offers had to be submitted by 10 September 2010 but the tender had to be cancelled. The call for tender was then published for a second time in January.

Following the Mepa permit, a call for tender was issued, twice, for the restoration of the fort’s main gate, costing €100,000. This work is still to begin because there was an appeal on the tender. This call for tender was published for the first time in August 2010 but had to be cancelled and was republished for the second time last January.

Soon, calls for tenders will be issued for repair works on the ramp (preliminary estimates: €60,000) and for the rebuilding of the ceiling of the ramp just behind the main entrance (preliminary estimate: €190,000) which was destroyed in World War II.

When these works are finished, works to be done include the repairs to access to the De Guiral Battery (preliminary estimate: €150,000) which collapsed following works in other parts of the fort by third parties. Work will also be undertaken on the restoration of the Salt Water Tower on the Cavalier.

As soon as the Mepa permits are issued, work can continue on the restoration of the Polverista and the Sick Bay.

An application has been drawn up and submitted for ERDF funds last May, for funds amounting to €16.8 million. This application is for the introduction and launching of the Fort St Angelo Heritage Experience.

In preparation for the ERDF application, a call for tender was issued and an architect has been chosen to present an application to Mepa for the restoration of the whole fort. The preparatory work cost €167,000 apart from the recruitment of two architects to supervise the work that is being done and to prepare the calls for tender.

Local councils were consulted on the new public transport routes

In a reply to Stefan Buontempo (PL), Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi showed how the local councils and the public in general were indeed consulted about the new public transport routes.

The new routes were made public for the first time during public consultation in a national conference that took place in December 2008. This conference was open to all local councils and many of them did attend.

In April 2009, the executive secretaries of the local councils were summoned to a meeting at which they were given electronic plans showing the planned routes and the bus stops with their names. They were asked to examine the planned routes together with their councils and to express their opinions. This meeting was attended by 23 executive secretaries. Those who did not attend were sent electronic versions and asked to express their views. All those councils who asked to meet or who made recommendations were heard out and with few exceptions their points were taken on board.

At a later stage, the ministry website published the revised versions of the planned routes and the councils were again asked to express their reactions and those of the residents. The government kept meeting the local councils even after the call for tender was issued. The government intends to continue to listen to views and to make the changes that are felt necessary to improve the public transport service, Dr Gonzi said.

AFM and EUFOR Libya

Malta has offered the use of medical facilities to members of EUFOR Libya in case this is needed. And as from mid-April an AFM major forms part of the planning military staff in Rome, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told George Vella (PL).

EUFOR Libya is an operation being prepared by the EU to help out the UN Coordination Office for Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) by offering military protection to those who would be providing humanitarian help to the civil population in Libya and in neighbouring countries affected by the Libyan crisis.

As decided by the European Council on 1 April, EUFOR Libya can only operate if UN OCHA makes an official request for military help to the EU.

The operation is still in a planning stage and there is no indication when the first operations will take place.

46 parking spaces cut in Sliema

As a result of the opening of the Tigné tunnel in Sliema, 26 parking spaces have been lost, Minister Austin Gatt told Robert Arrigo (PN). When the works relating to the creation of a bus lane are completed, a further 20 parking spaces will be lost, the minister added.

Mepa appeals

The number of appeals received by Mepa from decisions regarding applications has been: 333 in 2007, 312 in 2008, 280 in 2009 and 362 in 2010, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Charles Buhagiar (PL).

Freeport operator selling

Minister Austin Gatt confirmed to Charles Mangion (PL) that the Malta Freeport Corporation is considering a request by the operator of the Freeport container terminal to sell to a third party some of the shares in the company, with all existing conditions.

Two loan facilities for Greece

Minister Tonio Fenech told Charles Mangion (PL) that Malta has opened two loan facilities with regards to the Greek crisis. One is a loan to Greece and the other is in the form of guarantees to the European Financial Stability Facility.

As for the loan, Malta will be lending Greece €74.5 million by 2013. So far Malta has loaned Greece €39.8 million (by 14 July) and a further tranche of €5 million was being loaned on 15 July.

As regards the guarantees to the European Financial Stability Facility, Malta is guaranteeing Ireland €6.5 million and Portugal €11.8 million.

No widening of the Tigne seafront

The ministry is preparing the designs for the embellishment of the Tigné seafront, Minister George Pullicino told Jesmond Mugliett (PN) but no widening of the seafront is envisaged.