EC accepts Malta's arguments on air quality

The European Commission has accepted Malta's arguments on air quality after the government, with the aid of EU-suggested methodology that included satellite pictures, proved that a good part of exceedances in air quality were attributable to natural sources.

Answering a parliamentary question by Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that after having examined data from the Msida fixed monitoring station, Mepa had declared that the permissible limit had been exceeded 52 times in a day, when the EU directive allowed only 35 such exceedances a year.

Malta had applied to the Commission for an extension of the time to reach conformity with the determined level. This had led to an Air Quality Plan, issued this January.

Through research using methodology suggested by the EC itself, including satellite pictures, background trajectory modelling, chemical speciation and PM10 to PM2.5 ratios, Malta had proved that 16 of the 52 exceedances were attributable to dust from the Sahara Desert. Six of the remaining 36 exceedances were attributable to aerosol coming in over the sea.

When all this information had been sent to the EC, together with the application for an extension, the Commission had reviewed the application and written to Malta that it was accepting its arguments that 22 of the 52 exceedances reported were attributable to natural sources, and that there was therefore no need for any application.

Nonetheless, Dr Gonzi pledged, Malta remained committed to implementing the Air Quality Plan.