Preliminary discussions on splitting the planning and environmental functions within Mepa had started, Planning Parliamentary Secretary Michael Farrugia said.
The talks would include the structures to be set up, the human resources needed and the legislative process to be undertaken.
Speaking at the first meeting of the parliamentary Environment and Development Planning Committee, Dr Farrugia said that meetings would be held with developers and environmentalists.
The direction being given was that nothing should hinder development as long as laws and policies were fully respected.
Environment Minister Leo Brincat said that environmental NGOs, developers and the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry itself were fully in agreement with the Government on the separation of the planning and environmental functions within Mepa.
When committee chairwoman Marlene Farrugia invited representatives of NGOs and others to makes short presentations, Nationalist MP George Pullicino remarked that the chairwoman was not keeping to the remit of the committee, which was supposed to discuss plans, policies and reports for review to make recommendations to Parliament.
He remarked that no plan or policy had been presented for discussion. The Opposition had no difficulty listening to technocrats.
Dr Farrugia said that the committee was listening to what professionals had to say so that they could have better knowledge when discussing plans and policies.
There would be ample time to discuss these policies and plans. The spirit of the Sustainable Development Act was wider than what was written.
At the end of the committee meeting, Mr Pullicino went to the plenary session, where he requested a ruling from the Speaker on the matter.
The Speaker, Anġlu Farrugia, ruled that there was no violation of article 34, which defines why the committee was formed.
Confirming that meetings on separating planning and the environment had indeed started, Mepa chairman Vincent Cassar emphasised the need to strengthen the interaction between the two sectors.
He proposed the setting up of a focus group of experts within the Office of the Prime Minister on integrated resource management to go into issues of planning and the environment.
Mepa should be more user-friendly with its policies written in understandable language for non-professionals.
Astrid Vella, from environmental group Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, said a reform to change mentalities on tackling planning and environmental issues was needed.
Social impact assessments had been neglected and were never properly included in the planning context. She was worried about the emphasis on revitalising the construction sector when there were thousands of vacant housing units and when environmental studies in planning were needed.
Ms Vella complained of lack of enforcement when work on construction sites sometimes started as early as 5am.
The deputy mayor of Qala said that former minister George Pullicino knew that the local plan for Ħondoq ir-Rummien had been changed.
He said that Tal-Muxi area, which had been earmarked for a national park, had been left to become a rubbish dump by the previous administration.