EU Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella yesterday declined to say how he would vote on the spring hunting referendum, arguing that on such a controversial issue, he was bound to remain impartial.
Mr Vella, who was in Malta for official talks with the government, was asked by Times of Malta how he would be voting after questions sent to his spokesman in Brussels had not been answered.
On April 11, Malta will be voting in a referendum that could end hunting in spring.
“The issue [spring hunting] is presently in front of the Commission and so I feel it would not be prudent for me to comment,” Mr Vella said.
He added that in his role as Environment Commissioner he could be requested to give a ruling on this particular issue any time in the future, and so he did not want to be perceived to be taking sides.
When it was put to him that both the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader had pronounced themselves and expressed support for spring hunting, Mr Vella pointed out that his case was different as he was representing the Commission’s interests.
The issue is presently in front of the Commission and so I feel it would not be prudent for me to comment
Earlier, the Commissioner held talks with Environment Minister Leo Brincat and Parliamentary Secretary Roderick Galdes, in which he outlined the priorities and agenda of the Commission.
Mr Brincat spoke about Malta’s efforts to help the environment.
“We are not idealists but seek to achieve a compromise between safeguarding the environment and development,” he argued. He said that dividing the planning authority into two separate entities for planning and the environment would give a new impetus in the fight against climate change.
He promised that additional resources would be put at the disposal of the Environment and Resources Authority, whose remit would also be climate change.
Mr Brincat pointed out that the government was also working on a strategic plan for green jobs.
Speaking on the challenges ahead, Mr Brincat said Malta’s EU Presidency in 2017 would be a major test for the country as it would be expected to drive Europe’s environmental agenda across all member states.