On the current energy issue, Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) has said in a statement that the only aspect within FAA’s remit is planning, however "FAA has always emphasised the importance of using clean energy, especially alternative, renewable energy".

In the case of the PL energy proposals, FAA insisted that "all the necessary environmental assessments and EU requirements must be adhered to, especially in view of the protected ecology and landscape in the area and, should this not be the case, then FAA will not fail to speak out".

However, the FAA added that just as it had refused requests to criticise the Mistra case on the eve of the 2008 election, it will not be drawn into any political agendas.

In the run-up to the election, FAA highlighed the dangers of misplaced promises being made as vote-catchers. “Both leaders of the two main political parties have promised speeded-up permits in supposedly-Eco Gozo, the very area which needs special attention if it is to retain its employment numbers in the tourism industry,” the environment lobby group said.

FAA claimed that hundreds of permits were rushed though MEPA prior to the last elections, many of them abusively. 

“The Lidl project on fields in Xewkija is already being presented without the necessary studies, and the number of applications being processed is increasing. Is this the shape of things to come?,” the FAA asked.

It pointed out that the IMF and the EU have both warned that over-development is weakening our banking system, while the public has identified over-development as Malta’s greatest environmental problem however neither of the two main parties are prepared to offend the developers by tackling this issue which is undermining public health as well as tourism.

“Unlike other public representatives, the main parties have not yet declared themselves on the abusive boathouses at Armier and elsewhere, many of them built recently while politicians closed a blind eye to this blatant theft of public land."