The European Commission could take the government to court if it goes ahead with plans to build a new road through a protected site in Għadira without backing its project with studies, BirdLife said yesterday.

Transport Minister Austin Gatt, who is fronting the project, said that although he was not an expert on habitats, he was confident that the road would not cut through the protected area and that the project is essential to the regeneration of the sandy beach.

But BirdLife and six other environmental NGOs insisted that there are no studies to back the minister's comments on the need for a new road or for the beach to be regenerated.

BirdLife and Din l-Art Ħelwa have published detailed maps of the site, with an artist's impression of the road showing how it will pass through the protected area, which is both a Foresta 2000 and Natura 2000 site.

In terms of Foresta 2000, the site in question is a garigue area managed by the two NGOs together with the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs, a spokesman for BirdLife said, adding that the garigue is one of the richest and most diverse habitats in the Maltese Islands.

The Times sought the reaction of the Rural Affairs Ministry, which is a partner on the Foresta site which the NGOs insist will be affected. However, a spokesman said he was not in a position to confirm or contradict BirdLife's interpretation of the maps.

"We're trying to conserve and restore the area by planting trees and shrubs, analysing the soil and keeping the land protected. If Dr Gatt goes ahead with this road they will need to excavate and create side-roads for machinery to pass through and they will destroy significant parts of this EU protected area permanently," the BirdLife spokesman said.

Being a Natura 2000 site, the area is protected by the EU and would need proper justification and studies for the road to be developed.

On Tuesday, seven NGOs warned the Prime Minister to tread cautiously on such environmental matters and asked the Transport Ministry to prove the need for such a road after he admitted that his claims on the erosion of the sandy beach were not backed by studies. They also insisted that there are no problems with the current road.

The joint statement by Din l-Art Ħelwa, Nature Trust, BirdLife, Friends of the Earth, Light Pollution Awareness Group, the Ramblers Association and Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar said the proposed project will have a major negative impact on the environment and spoke about the possible impact on water resources in the area.

"After the government's recent statements that the environment is a priority for this legislature, this road project is a major retreat on the nature conservation pledge in the Maltese islands because it was announced that this project will be out on the fast track," the NGOs charged. Meanwhile, the Labour Party continued to push alternative proposals, saying that Dr Gatt's criticism of the "Irish Bridge" was unfair and showed that he had nothing to criticise.

This "bridge", suggested years ago, is a road elevated over the existing one behind the beach, which would allow the beach to grow while avoiding the need to develop a completely new thoroughfare. The ministry had said this proposal had been opposed by the same NGOs that are against the new one.

"Instead of attacking concrete proposals and imposing his own destructive decisions, Austin Gatt should publish the environmental impact assessment of the proposed road," the party said.