The cost of EU funding for farms

With regard to the report MP Urges Mepa To Process Farmers' Applications (November 24), why does Nationalist MP Philip Mifsud not see for himself what is actually happening on these so-called farms?

Abandoned farms have been granted permits to be converted to industrial garages while others are being used for all sorts of non-farming activities, such as stables, workshops, caravan storage, tuna pen storage, etc. At the same time fresh arable agricultural land is being granted permits for new farms to be built there, for the sake of obtaining EU funds. This has become the standard excuse to get development permits fast.

Does not such an instruction constitute interference in Mepa's operations? Should we have more farms at any cost, even if they are situated right next to residences, for the sake of getting EU funds?

May I also remind Mr Mifsud of the new permits for a pig farm and another for a cow farm on Triq is-Salina in Naxxar. The permits were recently granted by Mepa. The developments, on fresh arable agricultural land, will actually be touching people's homes - on the excuse of obtaining EU funds.

I am quite sure that these funds are not intended to disrupt people's lives. No one likes the idea of having a pig farm or a cow farm under his bedroom window. I am quite sure Mr Mifsud would not be happy to accept them just because these poor farmers are getting funding from the EU.

These funds will ultimately come out of our tax money. I am quite sure the EU would not be very pleased to know that EU citizens are being deprived of their fundamental rights, mainly:

Article 1: Human dignity. "Human dignity is inviolable. It must be respected and protected."

Article 7: Respect for private and family life. "Everyone has the right to respect for his or her private and family life, home and communications."

How can one have the dignity of his home when a permit is granted for a development that would obviously have a deleterious impact on the existing adjacent residences and cause bad neighbourliness by virtue of noise, smell, atmospheric pollution, unusual operating times, visual intrusion, health hazard, financial loss and so on. As you can imagine, living with a pig farm sharing your dividing wall is degrading to say the least!

The health hazards include nauseating smells and disturbing noise at any time of day and night, all the year round! No holidays, no weekends, no nothing...