Nationalist Party MEP Peter Agius said that he has submitted evidence to Auditor General Charles Deguara for a Performance Audit to investigate how €70 million in EU funds for upgrading sewage treatment plants were spent.

The PN MEP posted on his social media that throughout this summer, sewage has been reported in nine beaches located in Xgħajra, Qammiegħ, St. Paul's Bay, St. George's Bay, Balluta, Qajjenza, Fond Għadir, and Qui Si Sana.

Agius stated that while untreated sewage spills out at sea, sewage treatment plants meant to treat this are also not managing to produce water designated for farming, called "New Water."

On Wednesday, Agius said he submitted evidence to the Auditor General in the form of videos and experiences of farmers who rely on government water for their crops and ran out of water during this summer period.

Agius described that in many of the latter cases, farmers had to adapt to the absence of new water by either purchasing water with their personal finances or by abandoning their crops altogether.

Agius renewed his request to the Auditor General for the NAO to conduct a detailed investigation. He also said that Auditor General Deguara's office has already begun looking into this issue, following his request.

"We are all paying for this incompetence as consumers and citizens who have the right to enjoy the sea," the Maltese MEP said.

These developments build on Agius' original request for the National Audit Office (NAO) to investigate Malta's use of EU funding to treat all urban and rural sewage, which he originally filed on 7 October 2023. The then MEP candidate had requested the NAO to conduct a Performance Audit into this, claiming that the main purpose for which this funding was granted was not achieved.