The unanimous approval of Karmenu Vella’s performance at the European Parliament hearing on Monday has seen him through, but local environmentalists remain concerned about whether he is able to confront the huge challenges ahead.
His answers have been described as dry and evasive, hinging more on buzzwords – green growth, blue growth, sustainable economy – than substance. The fact that he has been assigned such a massive portfolio adds to the concerns.
Opposition against merging the environment with maritime affairs and fisheries remains strong.
“What was [EP president-elect Jean-Claude] Juncker thinking?” Edward Mallia, a scientist and long-standing environmentalist, asked.
Karmenu Vella has always been in the shadows. He’s never taken a stand on issues
Mr Vella’s performance at the hearing has not removed Dr Mallia’s doubts that the commissioner-designate can overcome the challenge.
“He was not informed on a number of things. He was evasive. On issues such as air quality, he waffled. He appeared to be in a better position on hunting and fisheries,” Dr Mallia said.
His concerns hinge on the fact that the areas assigned to Mr Vella face huge challenges and lobbyists who apply tremendous pressure for laws to work to their advantage and he believes the politician’s track record does not bode well.
“Mr Vella has always been in the shadows. He’s never taken a stand on issues. He has three major areas, all of which face serious problems and strong lobby groups. The buzzwords he used [on Monday] will not be enough to solve these problems,” Dr Mallia said.
Maltese environmental NGOs were very supportive of Malta joining the EU since they felt it would ensure better environmental standards and protection. They never predicted that responsibility would be assigned to the country.
“Considering Malta’s track record, we do not consider having a Maltese politician, of whichever hue, responsible for these portfolios as being of benefit, both for Malta and the EU,” said Martin Galea De Giovanni, chairman of Friends of the Earth Malta.
There is agreement that Mr Vella’s handling of the fisheries issue was his strongest asset.
“It was encouraging to hear Mr Vella express his support for small-scale fishing operations and how he believed the European Maritime Fisheries Fund should pay more attention to this sector,” said John Daniel Farrugia, spokesman for Fish for Tomorrow, which campaigns for sustainable fisheries.
But Mr Vella was still vague on most issues and failed to provide concrete answers on a number of questions, Mr Farrugia, also known as JD, said.
“In some instances, he appeared to evade questions altogether such as when he was asked about how he plans to deal with Europe’s heavy reliance on imported fish, what his plans are for aquaculture and how he aims to tackle the issue of how industrial fishing is damaging the fishing industry,” Mr Farrugia said.
Din l-Art Ħelwa said it was pleased to hear Mr Vella say he would strive to ensure environmental directives were implemented, as this carried positive implications for Malta.
“He must now show he has the vision and ambition to address environmental concerns and keep them high on the agenda,” board member Petra Caruana Dingli said.
Road to next Commission
Until October 7: Hearings of commissioners-designate and committee evaluation meetings.
October 7: Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of Committee Chairs to evaluate the outcome of the hearings.
October 8-9: Political groups meet to evaluate the hearings.
October 22: Vote on all the commission is taken in the plenary.