Petitions Committee closes Fort Cambridge, Ħondoq cases

The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament has decided to close two separate cases filed by Maltese citizens complaining of proposed developments in Qui-Si-Sana in Sliema and Ħondoq ir-Rummien in Gozo.

After examining the two petitions the Committee said that according to the information available it found that there are "no grounds proving a breach of EU Environmental law".

The first complaint, brought by Joan Borg Cardona referred to the Fort Cambridge project in Sliema which according to the petitioner will have a detrimental impact on the local area.

Seeking a clarification on the issue, the European Commission told the Petitions Committee that although at first the Maltese authorities did not impose the requirement of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), this was reversed following a ruling from Brussels.

"The outline planning permission was granted without an Environmental Impact Assessment being undertaken, notwithstanding the likely environmental impacts being identified in relation to the development. As a result of this information, the Commission raised the issue directly with the Maltese authorities.

"In October 2007, new information was received to indicate that an EIA would be undertaken for the detailed planning consent stage for Fort Cambridge," the Commission told the Petitions Committee.

The Commission assured the Committee that it will continue to follow the procedure for the Fort Cambridge development in light of the obligations under the EIA Directive.

In view of this, the Committee said that the issue is closed.

Ħondoq ir-Rummien and the proposed development of the area into a yacht marina and other tourist facilities were raised by a petition from Gail Lesley Kreupl, a Maltese citizen, complaining that the project would seriously affect the island of Gozo.

The petitioner argued that this project has been approved despite the results of a referendum held in 2000 showing that 85 per cent of the residents of Qala were opposed to it.

In its response, the EU executive said that the development has not been approved yet and that under the requirements of Article 4 of the EIA Directive, the Maltese authorities, when taking into account the likely environmental impact of the project, may require that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) be undertaken for a development of this type before planning permission is granted.

"The Commission has been informed that an EIA has been required in this case, and that the EIA process is currently ongoing," the Commission said.

On the issue of referenda, the Commission said that this is a matter for specific rules at member state level.

The Petitions Committee ruled that in view of the ongoing process for an Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed development, there are, currently, no grounds proving a breach of EU environmental law and, therefore, no action is proposed.

The meeting was also attended by Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil who is a member of the Committee.