Din l-Art Helwa Press Release

Yesterday the government published three draft Bills to regulate the forthcoming demerger of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

Din l-Art Helwa requests the government to ensure that the public is given adequate opportunity to voice their views and concerns on this important step. The new government entities that are to be formed by this Demerger will shape the future of development and the environment in Malta for many years to come.

In 2014 the consultation documents on this Demerger were only made available in the week after the public meeting were held, and Din l‐Art Helwa was therefore not able to read, discuss and prepare questions on these documents to be addressed at the public meetings. The public consultation period of three weeks in 2014 was also much too short for an important issue such as this. For these reasons, Din l‐Art Helwa had stated at the time that did not consider this public consultation to have been adequately carried out.

One of the main principles of the Aarhus Convention, to which Malta is a signatory, is that the public has the right to participate effectively in decision-making on environmental matters.

See Din l-Art Helwa’s comments in 2014 here:

https://dinlarthelwa.org/uncategorized/dlh-comments-on-mepa-demerger-consultation-documents/

https://dinlarthelwa.org/uncategorized/mepa-demerger-serves-the-interests-of-the-development-lobby/