NGO welcomes Mepa's new enforcement powers

Nature Trust has welcomed the Cabinet's endorsement of the proposals put forward by Environment Minister George Pullicino which strengthen Mepa's ability to enforce the law.

The NGO said it had been campaigning for more hard-nosed legislation to stem illegal development in Outside Development Zones (ODZ) for a number of years and was satisfied that some of its proposals had finally been taken on board.

These proposals include the taking of direct action soon after the detection of illegal development in ODZ areas - post-May 2007 illegal development will be subject to such action.

The NGO believes that the taking of updated aerial photos of the islands last May also bolsters the enforcement capabilities of Mepa.

Both proposals, it said, have the potential to stave off the current scourge of illegal development, abetted by the current legal framework which allows the perpetrator to apply for sanctioning soon after his illegality is completed.

Nature Trust said it was also aware that several hundred enforcement cases were still pending at direct action stage.

Despite such cases being pre-May 2007, the NGO believes that these should be resolved with haste all the same. One way to address this is through the proposed Enforcement Appeals Board, another step which Nature Trust commends.

The increase in the capping of fines incurred after sanctioning is granted was also positive, it said, calling for the identity of perpetrators of illegal development to be made public.

Nature Trust said it hoped the proposals will be endorsed by both political parties as proof of their professed green credentials. Attention now should also be dedicated towards beefing up Mepa's ODZ enforcement unit (both in terms of manpower and resources) and towards overhauling the protracted appeals stage which bogs down any eventual Mepa direct action on pre-May 2007 cases.