18 student organisations have endorsed the national protest to be held on Saturday to oppose Bills No. 143 and 144 and the three legal notices published with them.

The organisations said Wednesday that the bills will make Planning Authority more powerful than Parliament and the powers of the courts will be weakened.

The bills also propose that the obligation for the Planning Authority to consider the environmental impact of development will be removed and the Planning Board will have the power to ignore planning plans and policies.

It will become harder to amend planning policies in the future to meet our country's environmental needs and it will become more difficult to fight in favour of the environment and against overdevelopment.

Therefore, the organisations demand that the Government: 

Withdraw these Bills and legal notices. No consultation can take place on drafts that are themselves regressive.

Introduce an urgent measure to suspend development that is subject to a pending appeal.

Publish a white paper and hold a broader public consultation on the country's vision regarding development.

The signatories are

Kunsill Studenti Universitarji (KSU)
Għaqda Studenti tal-Liġi (GħSL)
European Law Students Association (ELSA)
Junior Chamber of Advocates (JCA)
Society for Architecture & Civil Engineering Students (SACES)
Malta Medical Students' Association (MMSA)
Earth Systems Association (ESA)
Betapsi
Malta Health Students' Association (MHSA)
Gozo University Group (GUG)
Department of English Student Association (DESA)
University Engineering Student Association
Association of Students of Commercial Studies (ASCS)
Classics and Archaeology Students' Association (CASA)
Science Students' Society (S-Cubed)
MKSA - Media & Knowledge Sciences Association (MKSA)
Criminology Students' Association  (CSA)
The Malta International Relations Student Association (MIRSA)