The government has introduced a law enabling it to decide whether private agricultural land should remain in private hands or be taken away, with the owner being merely informed after the fact, the Nationalist Party said Tuesday.

During a press conference held outside the Pitkalija in Ta' Qali, Shadow Minister for Transport, Agriculture and Fisheries Toni Bezzina and Shadow Minister for National Heritage and Hobbies Charles Azzopardi presented details of an Opposition Motion which will be debated this evening in Parliament.

This motion aims to repair the damage caused by Legal Notice 150, introduced at the height of last summer without any form of consultation, neither with the Opposition nor with those directly affected by this law, the PN said The Protection of Agricultural Land Regulations (2025) allow the Government to take possession of private land if the owner does not register it as agricultural land, and such land may then be allocated to third parties.

Referring to the extensive list of objections raised by numerous organisations through a series of public statements, the PN Shadow Ministers explained that this Legal Notice not only enables the Government to take land away from its rightful owners, but its provisions are also detrimental to traditional hobbies.

It therefore fell to the Opposition to table amendments to safeguard the interests of landowners and hobbyists, the PN said.The amendments ensure the protection of land and the right of every owner to enjoy their property, while also protecting traditional hobbies by guaranteeing that these may continue to be practised on agricultural land and exempting such sites from the obligation to plough the land once a year.

Following today's debate on the Opposition's Motion in Parliament, the vote on these amendments is expected to be taken in the House of Representatives on 16 December. Hunting and trapping organisations, the Chamber of Advocates, the Notarial Council and pyrotechnic hobby groups, among others, criticised the government for introducing a law that directly affects their rights after excluding them entirely from the consultation process, the PN said.

Among the criticism raised, the FKNK described the Government's actions as anti-democratic and almost dictatorial, warning that this law threatens the basic rights of rural landowners, hunters and trappers;

The Chamber of Advocates, the PN added, stated that the Legal Notice created significant uncertainty and transferred the power to seize private land to an Authority without parliamentary scrutiny or transparency. The Notarial Council also argued that these regulations undermine the undeniable principle of ownership and enjoyment of private property.

Although the Minister had promised to table amendments to this Legal Notice by September, this was merely a move to calm the anger and concern of the affected organisations. "We are now in December and the Government has changed nothing. The organisations met Minister Anton Refalo, who assured them that the necessary amendments would be introduced before the regulations came into force, yet this did not happen," the PN said.

Once again, the speakers said it fell to the PN to recognise the seriousness of the problem, to listen to the concerns of those affected, and to do what the Government should have done: present a Motion to amend this flawed law.The Partit Nazzjonalista is presenting three clear and fair amendments to safeguard agricultural land, landowners and traditional hobbyists:

Removal of the Government's power to seize private rural land simply because it is not registered;

Protection for traditional hobbies practised on agricultural land;

Removal of the excessive powers granted to the Malta Agricultural Resources Agency, which was given the authority to take temporary possession of land and allocate it to third parties.

The PN said it has always supported strengthening agricultural legislation and protecting farmland in a serious and sustainable way. However, it is now evident that the Government abused this intention by introducing a law that gives the State the power to take private land without the consent of its owner.

This is a dangerous law that creates uncertainty and fear among landowners, and the Partit Nazzjonalista will not allow the Government to toy with these rights, which are sacrosanct.The FKNK itself described the Government's law as anti-democratic and one which imposes unnecessary restrictions on traditions that have existed for centuries.

It is ironic that a government which spent so much time pontificating about protecting hobbies in the Constitution, and which ran a fear campaign when the PN proposed recognising environmental rights in the Constitution, has introduced a law that is, in reality, to the detriment of those who practise traditional hobbies, the PN said.

After extensive consultations with organisations, experts and landowners, the Partit Nazzjonalista is presenting serious and concrete amendments to protect farmers, landowners and hobbyists, safeguard traditional Maltese pastimes, restore the democratic balance shattered by the Government, and ensure that the State cannot seize private land under the pretext of protection.

The PN said it is doing what the Government should have done from the outset - listen, consult and defend people's rights. 

In reply, the Labour Party said the PN continues to spread fake news even on what is clearly written black and on white crystallized in law. By intentionally alarming the people, after trying to endanger people's hobbies, on the reform of the protection of agricultural land, the Opposition is persisting in misinterpreting this issue.

The reform has no impact on any practice or hobby that takes place in our fields. Anyone whose pastime is in agricultural land will continue to use it as long as the crops are not damaged as is currently happening. The Legal Notice has been in force for months now and no activity or hobby has been prohibited, the PL said.

The Opposition's arguments make no sense that 80% of agricultural land in Malta is already registered with the authorities. Many people have gone to register their land and are benefiting from government aids and subsidies. The reform of the protection of agricultural land has also been made to strengthen food security in our country.

Contrary to what the Opposition says, this legislation is the result of a serious and transparent process that started with a White Paper in 2022 and the subsequent public consultation. It is evident that the Nationalist Party is using this law after the mistake they made with the Consitutional amendment that it could leave an open door for those who want to eliminate certain hobbies, the PL said.

If there is someone who has endangered the hobbies it is a well-known fact that it is the Nationalist Party that took two years to present a bill which several NGOs showning concern that it will endanger their hobby. The Opposition reverted to arrogance and called the NGOs that they were pressured to criticize the PN's position.

On the other hand, the Labour Government will remain committed to defending the interests of the Maltese hobbies and on this reform, that protects agricultural land for future generations, supporting farmers and preventing important elements from being used for political and partisan purposes, the PL said.