The Malta Tourism Authority did not carry out an environmental impact assessment before starting the “upgrade” of seven kiosks at Għadira Bay, because the interventions merely replaced the existing structures, according to the authority.

Subjecting facilities and their location to an EIA is one of the conditions on which beaches are judged before being awarded the Blue Flag certificate, a yearly award based on strict environmental criteria. Għadira was among nine Maltese beaches to have Blue Flag status in 2014.

Asked whether it had performed an EIA on the site, the MTA said the initiative to replace the existing kiosks was four years old and the idea was to clad them in timber for a uniform look.

An agreement was reached in 2012 between the government and stakeholders, so these are not new kiosks but replacements for existing ones, the MTA said.

Read more on Times of Malta.

 

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