Amendment on landfills rejected

A proposal to highlight concerns about the proposed landfills near Mnajdra in a report on new EU members was yesterday turned down by the foreign affairs committee of the European parliament.

However, the committee approved a proposed amendment to the report calling for the full implementation of the European Wild Birds Directive by Malta after EU accession.

When contacted, Alternattiva Demokratika's Arnold Cassola said the proposal effectively called for the elimination of hunting in spring.

The committee yesterday voted on six Malta-related amendments to the monitoring report of the European Commission on the state of new members' preparedness. The proposed amendments mainly dealt with environmental issues. All of them will eventually be submitted to the parliament plenary.

A proposed amendment by Green MEP Alexander de Roo, which was approved, welcomes the fact that Malta has met virtually all of the treaty requirements regarding environmental protection and looks to it to continue the reforms in the areas of waste management, nature conservation and water and air quality.

But the second part of the amendment, submitted on the initiative of Greens secretary general Prof. Cassola, was turned down.

The amendment, which had already been approved by the environment committee, raised concerns about the establishment of a new temporary landfill very close to a Neolithic temple.

AD said the amendment was rejected because of the vote of the European People's Party, the Nationalist Party's political family.

Prof. Cassola said: "Our battle to save this gem of Maltese and European heritage has not ended here."

He said the Greens would put in the amendment for the final voting round in the plenary session of the parliament.

He urged all Maltese citizens, and in particular the Siggiewi Action Group, to write to all 638 MEPs in the parliament to highlight the importance of this issue.

In the same session, a vote was taken on the issue of hunting, following an amendment submitted by German EPP MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz.

The committee approved his proposal, which "assumes that after accession, and notwithstanding certain transitional arrangements, the provisions of the European Wild Birds Directive in particular will be fully transposed and implemented in keeping with European species conservation".

During its negotiations with the EU, Malta had secured a special agreement which makes it possible for hunters to hunt down certain species during spring, through a derogation allowed by the directive.

AD hailed the vote as a victory for all those who are against the "savage hunting practices" in Malta.

The committee turned down another amendment proposed by the Greens expressing concern at the deficiencies in the enforcement and implementation by Malta of treaty obligations on nature protection.

It also rejected an amendment calling on Malta to complete the setting up of the regional committee for Gozo, so as to facilitate successful project development.