Mepa dismantles enforcement unit
Mepa personnel removing a dump in St Paul's Bay.
The Malta Environment and Planning Authority has dismantled its environmental enforcement unit, just five years after making a €280,000 investment to improve its enforcement capacity.
The Sunday Times has learnt that the environment inspectorate is no longer a functioning unit, with most of the personnel previously dedicated to the enforcement of environmental regulations transferred to other departments and units.
In 2004, Mepa secured €250,000 from the EU Transitional Project Programme for a capacity-building project aimed at improving the enforcement of environmental regulations. An additional €30,000 was provided by Mepa, bringing the total expenditure to €280,000.
The authority's director-general at the time, Godwin Cassar, had said: "Establishing the administrative set up to implement Malta's environmental obligations is only part of the task. The real challenge is enforcement."
As part of the training programme, 25 enforcement officers and inspectors from Mepa took part in a traineeship with environmental agencies in other EU countries. Two high profile international experts renowned for their work in environmental enforcement were also brought to Malta to design the training programme, assess Mepa's capacity to enforce environmental regulations and recommend improvements.
However, Mepa has now admitted its environment inspectorate has been dismantled. According to the authority, the reshuffle of personnel is part of an internal restructuring that does not affect the service it provides.
A spokesman said: "The trend is to reduce the arbitrary distinction between inspectors and policy officers in favour of a multi-tier system of environmental enforcement, where more specialised officers may be brought in as backup to frontline enforcement, even if they normally focus on policy related tasks".
But the enforcement of environmental regulations has weakened, according to environmental organisations who say there is no "frontline enforcement".
Nature Trust president Vincent Attard said: "The environmental enforcement unit was already understaffed. Dismantling it has made it worse. The environment unit has less than half the staff the planning unit has - the planning arm in Mepa is much stronger."
Mepa is responsible for the implementation of around 200 EU environmental directives, regulations and decisions. The protection of the environment is essentially in its hands.
Mr Attard added: "It is a very reactive system based on reports, so we have to police the environment, make the reports and hope that action is taken."
Martin Galea of Din L-Art Ħelwa said: "A glance at the state of the environment shows it is self-evident that there is a problem with enforcement."
Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar has also been critical, citing the recent "savage destruction" of the natural environment at Kalkara valley.
Astrid Vella said: "Our repeated reports were not acted upon until it was too late." Friends of the Earth Malta stated that "enforcement is practically non-existent. We have been complaining about this for some time. It is pointless to have so many environmental regulations if there is nobody to ensure they are being upheld".
The latest statistics produced by the authority for July show there were just three environmental inspections and no action was taken by the pollution prevention and control unit (PCCU). In the same month in 2005, the environment inspectorate carried out 27 inspections while the PCCU investigated 44 complaints and made 73 inspections related to illegal dumping, emissions and dust abatement.
Last week, The Sunday Times reported the suspension of Mepa's pollution reporting service - no public announcement was made and no alternative course of action provided. The decision was deemed "unacceptable" by the authority's chairman, Austin Walker, but nobody shouldered responsibility for the decision. Five days after The Sunday Times' report, Mepa resumed the service.
Enforcement is one of the four main pillars in the planned Mepa reform. The Office of the Prime Minister said capacity was being studied and the aim was to present the new Mepa Act to Parliament for discussion and approval by the end of the year.
More stories in the News section.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
17 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Joe Fenech
Sep 20th 2009, 23:52
No need of enforcement in this country. There's no corruption, and everyone sticks strictly to laws!
colin wilcox
Sep 20th 2009, 20:23
Mybe the EU should ask where this money was spent
Albert Bezzina
Sep 20th 2009, 18:49
"Most of the personnel previously dedicated to the enforcement of environmental regulations transferred to other departments and units"
This means that recurring expenditure from salaries should be roughly persistently equivalent.
The question arises: Was the Environmental Enforcement Unit purposely created as an excuse to suck up €250000 of EU funds which would otherwise have been lost? The contribution of €6000 a year by MEPA is hardly an expense. Was there ever an environmental agenda in setting up the unit or was it created for its purely financial benefits.
Maybe The Times can ask how and where the €250000 was spent.
Galea. L
Sep 20th 2009, 17:29
It shouldn't make any difference. With or without MEPA the environment rapists were and are having a field day. Indeed their rapes were being given the go-ahead by MEPA itself. The only way to save the environment is to SCRAP MEPA and put everything back under a Minister so that he and his party will have to pay a political price for their corruption.
F Galea
Sep 20th 2009, 12:24
Yes, from bad to worse. Good positive things seem to be very short lived in this country. Another lost point for this government when the time comes for my vote. Pity that we do not have a good alternative... so I guess my vote will be lost. No matter how many colourful pieces of paper I will find in my letter box and pictures of smiling politicians who list scores of promises that will never be fulfilled. I am very convinced that next time Labour will be elected to govern, but I am not at all convinced that things will be any better then. Malta - a hopeless case.
JOHN MICALLEF
Sep 20th 2009, 12:20
ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS THE TOTAL DISTRUCTION OF MALTA'S ENVIRONMENT.
NOW THE PLUNDERERS OF LOUR ENVIRONT WILL HAVE AN EVEN BETTER 'FIELD' DAY!!
Phil Pryce
Sep 20th 2009, 12:17
"The trend is to reduce the arbitrary distinction between inspectors and policy officers in favour of a multi-tier system of environmental enforcement, where more specialised officers may be brought in as backup to frontline enforcement, even if they normally focus on policy related tasks".
er..... what??? Once more, the government seeks to patronize us with political statements which don't mean anything at all, but look good.
Joanne Micallef
Sep 20th 2009, 12:04
The unfortunate truth is finally coming out. No amount of catchy slogans and sweet populist talking can hide these facts.
Joe Cassar
Sep 20th 2009, 11:52
It is becoming clear that PM Gonzi uses a different lexicon from the rest of us.
In his book, "reform" = going from bad to worse.
l. theuma
Sep 20th 2009, 11:40
It is now made clear that MEPA and enforcement were incompatible. Now we need an independent Enforcement Unit having the authority to issue enforcement notices against MEPA's decisions.
Chris Finch
Sep 20th 2009, 11:38
MEPA in disarray.
ADT in disarray.
VAT department in disarray.
Energy sector in disarray.
Tourism in decline.
Cost of living escalating.
The only sector benefitting is construction.
Is this government governing?
The PM nowhere to be seen.
Where is the leadership?
Change is needed.
New leaders for PN someone who has the country's best interest at heart.
Joe Morana
Sep 20th 2009, 11:13
"MEPA dimantles enforcement unit" with no poper justifications/explanations from MEPA. Enforcement was already very weak. To me it seems that MEPA is degressing from bad to worse.
K Buhagiar
Sep 20th 2009, 11:07
Shame on the authorities in charge! When shall we start safeguarding what is left of our natural environment?
r abela
Sep 20th 2009, 10:38
The environment inspectorate had been dismantled of its powers several months ago soon after the Twinning-light project referred to in the report was completed. The recommendations made by the experts referred to above were never acted upon since MEPA failed to provide the necessary financial backing. Most of the EPD inspectors have been moving into other departments within the authority and others moving out without ever being replaced.
No wonder the current state of our environment!
This is another confirmation that the so called MEPA reform is no reform at all. For those who have read the government's report should have noticed immediately that enforcement was the weakest of the so called 'pillars' referred to in the report.
PM Camilleri
Sep 20th 2009, 10:33
From bad to worse. Is this part of the Mepa reform? Lack of enforcement? Nothing new here. It's an ongoing problem which has been getting worse and worse, year after year. It's because government has lost the will to fight. It is tired, exhausted and yes let's admit it.
George Casha
Sep 20th 2009, 10:31
More Tax Payers Money going down the drain. Isn't anyone ever held accountable for this waste ? It's no wonder the present Government funds are always in deficit !!!.
Philip Lingard
Sep 20th 2009, 10:20
For all I know something far more effective might be planned.
But this is awful politics. Perhaps the PM has a death wish letting it appear that he is willing to let the environment go unprotected.