With Greens in Parliament you can finally swim

We're bang in the middle of winter, with our heaters on at full swing and trying to protect ourselves from the rigours of Maltese homes, which are often tougher than those of the weather outside, since they are built with our typical Maltese stone that absorbs all sorts of humidity and renders proper heating of homes a near impossibility.

Energy efficiency is still a far way off in our country, even though - after years of insistence by us Maltese Greens - some very timid efforts at attaining energy efficiency, energy saving and the use of alternative energy are being made by the government.

However, the Maltese government's neglect of renewable energy was recently again highlighted in the EU Commission report on energy published on January 10. As regards renewable energy, Malta, Italy, Austria, Cyprus, Latvia, France, Estonia and Slovakia, have been classified as countries which are far from the objectives envisaged and, indeed, during the past years, have gone backwards, rather than forward.

The result of such neglect is that we are left to wield a hefty energy bill while a significant portion of our population suffers from rheumatism, arthritis and other ailments, at heavy cost in terms of medical treatment. In the middle of the cold season, pictures of sun, beaches and clean bathing water become a priority in one's dreams. But where could one find any of these in Malta? At the risk of sounding catastrophic, I can safely say that in our country these dreams remain exactly what they are: figments of our imagination. Granted that for most of the year the sun is always with us: stronger than ever, due to the ever increasing effects of climate change and the depletion of the ozone layer.

But what about the beaches and the bathing water? Well, they simply do not exist! As regards, the quality of bathing water, let us not illude ourselves any longer: fish farms off Comino and Cirkewwa, at St Paul' s Islands, at Mistra, at Delimara. The north, east and south of Malta are occupied by fish farms, with relative flotsam, sludge and stench.

Not content with this, a substantial part of Maltese waters is taken up by yacht marinas at Mgarr (Gozo), Ta' Xbiex-Msida, Vittoriosa-Senglea. We then have the Birzebbuga-Marsaxlokk Freeport, the Grand Harbour, the Sliema Ferries. Still not content with all this, both Lawrence Gonzi and Alfred Sant are agreeing on two other marinas - Hondoq ir-Rummien (Gozo) and Xemxija. Simply shameful! Add to this the various other mooring points in Spinola, Balluta, St George's Bay, Marsascala, Xlendi ... and one can only come to the conclusion that, on this 315 km2 archipelago, clean bathing water is becoming scarcer than gold.

But we have our beaches, one would say. What beaches, may I ask? Pretty Bay is in the middle of the Freeport; Delimara and Peter's Pool next to fish farms; one third of Golden Bay is given to the hotel; the same at St George's Bay; Gnejna is taken up by shanty boathouses; practically all of Mellieha Bay has been given away as beach concessions. Same thing at Qawra and Paradise Bay.

It has practically become impossible for ordinary people to go to the beach for a swim. You either have a pool at home... or else you book a flight to Sicily. In Malta, you either pay through your nose or you forget about swimming.

Where do Greens in government feature in all this? Well, let me recount my recent experience in the Italian Parliament. The first Romano Prodi budget was up for debate - a budget drawn up by a coalition of nine very different parties, including us Greens. Therefore a "give and take" compromise budget, as opposed to the typical "winner takes all" attitude, so reminiscent of the Maltese Parliament.

Well, among other green measures adopted in the budget, we Greens got a very important one approved by the Italian parliament which has to do with the right of Italian and other citizens to swim freely on Italian beaches. Italy has thousands of kilometres of coastline with free access for all. However, there are also thousands of kilometres which are taken up by beach concessions, whose owners make people wanting to use them pay through the nose.

Well, as from the first of January, the Prodi government has approved a green measure which makes it compulsory for all owners of beach concessions not only to give all right of passage to swimmers through the patch of sand or rock occupied by their lido, but also to ensure that anybody who decides to spread her/his towel on that patch of beach has every right to do so, without having to pay anything.

Of course, if one wants to use the amenities of the private lido (showers, umbrellas, beach beds, etc.) one has to pay, which is only fair. But access to the lido is totally free and no owner can oblige you to move off.

Moreover, beach concessions cannot be granted by the government for any longer than 20 years and the Italian government is now also obliged to ensure that there is a fair balance of public beaches, as opposed to private beach concessions.

Just imagine if in Malta the Maltese government were to measure the few sandy beaches we have and legislate that no more than, for example, a tenth of the total stretch of beaches can be given out as beach concessions. And anybody could still go and sunbathe and stay on the stretch used by the private lidos, without having to pay anything, if not using the amenities.

Well, thanks to Greens in government, this has happened in Italy. I have had the honour and pleasure to push for and vote for this measure in the Italian parliament. Is the Maltese electorate ready to get the Greens into Parliament at the next general election?

Think about it: the election of Maltese Greens to Parliament could be the only way that we will ever be able to swim again on beaches long lost to the public and seas long polluted and lost to bathers.

Arnold Cassola, a Maltese Green MP in the Italian parliament, was elected in the European constituency in Prime Minister Romano Prodi's list in last April's general election.
arnold.cassola@alternattiva.org.mt