Brussels warns government on hospital incinerator - Labour MEP

The EU Commission has warned the government about the St Luke's Hospital incinerator, saying it was not satisfied with its answers on the matter, Labour MEP Joe Muscat said.

Mr Muscat said the Commission decided to issue an official warning due to the fact that it appeared that European laws were being broken in the way the incinerator was being operated and the fumes it was emitting.

He said European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told him in a letter that, following an assessment of the information available, "my services have sent a letter of formal notice to the Maltese authorities, concerning an apparent breach of the obligations under Directive 2000/76/EC in relation to waste incineration at St Luke's Hospital".

A response from the Maltese government is awaited within two months from the date of the Commission's letter, Mr Dimas said.

On the request of the Pietà, Msida, Hamrun and Ta' Xbiex local councils, Mr Muscat had argued with the EU Commission that the way the incinerator was operating was breaching the directive.

It appeared the government took four months to answer a letter requesting information on the way the incinerator was operating, Mr Muscat continued.

He said it was shameful how the government's strategy was not to solve the problem but simply to drag its feet until the time came to close down the incinerator.

"This is another case that showed the government is more concerned with appearances than implementing EU regulations it spent years boasting about."