"It's time for the European Commission to step up its enforcement of air quality in Member States. Clean air is a right for all of us, we cannot allow States to agree to high standards in Brussels only to ignore them back home. Clean air has become one of the top concerns of people in Malta, Gozo and across the Union. We must act and I am pleased that Vice-President Designate Timmermans committed to take action," said Member of the European Parliament for Malta & Gozo Roberta Metsola.

MEP Metsola was speaking during the hearing of Frans Timmermans as Vice-President Designate in charge of the environment. MEP Metsola also raised the issue of banning single-use plastics, getting Timmermans to promise that the EU will join the campaign to ensure a UN-led ban on the world's worst single-use plastics.

"Malta and Gozo are islands, even if we reduce our consumption of single-use plastics, we are at risk of sea currents carrying waste from third-countries. We need the ban to be global to have the effect that we need."