The Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development issued by the government for public consultation is not valid, Din l-Art Helwa said as it deplored the government’s attempt "to present this document as fulfilling the expectations of the Strategic Plan, which is required to guide development and environment for the next two decades".

It said the document  is out of line with the legal requirements. For the Environment and Development Planning Act stated that the Strategic Plan should set out policies and include an explanatory memorandum giving a reasoned justification for each of the policies and proposals contained in the plans, Din l-Art Helwa said.

The document issued for public consultation did not include the required policies, let alone any reasoned justification for them. It only contains a list of objectives which are very similar to the objectives published in 2012 by the previous administration in preparation for the Strategic Plan.

The 2012 document clearly stated that the objectives were only intended to “guide the policy formulation stage of the drawing up of a new SPED”, Din l-Art Helwa said adding that it was is unacceptable for the same objectives to now be presented by the government as the full Strategic Plan.

It called on the government to go back to the drawing board and publish a proper holistic strategy to regulate the sustainable development of land and sea resources as required by law with the Environment and Planning Development Act.

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