The European Commission declared that the Fort Cambridge development in Sliema and the local plan changes affecting Santa Maria Estate in Mellieħa, do not breach any EU laws.
The Commission closed the two cases against Malta over alleged breaches of its environment directives and dropped legal action.
With regard to the Fort Cambridge development, a Commission spokesman said that, on the basis of information submitted by the Maltese authorities, it "concluded that an environmental impact assessment was undertaken, which addressed the main impacts associated with the development".
The EIA Directive is a formal, mainly procedural legal instrument which sets certain minimum requirements to establish the environmental effects of a proposed development, followed by public consultation, before the decision to grant permission is made.
"Given that the Maltese authorities carried out an EIA for the Fort Cambridge site, the breach of the EIA Directive no longer persists, and, accordingly, the case was closed,"' the spokesman said.
The issue was first raised at EU level last year through an official complaint filed by the Qui-Si-Sana and Tigné residents' associations. They claimed the development permit issued by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, to develop the former Holiday Inn site into hundreds of apartments, breached EU rules as no EIA was submitted before permission was granted.
Initially, Mepa had argued there was no need for an EIA. However, following EU pressure, it changed its mind and asked the developers to conduct an EIA.
Brussels also closed another planning issue regarding the revision of the North West Local Plan, which affected planning permits at Santa Maria Estate.
The EU looked at possible infringements of EU laws following complaints filed by estate residents in 2006. They argued that Mepa's decision to change the local plan allowed more density and taller buildings in an area supposedly restricted to bungalow development.
The residents claimed that no impact assessment had been carried out before the changes were made, in line with the requirements of the EU's Strategic Environment Assessment (Sea) Directive.
Following its investigations, the Commission dismissed residents' claims saying that the Sea Directive did not apply in this case and did not identify any breach.
"The assessment of the relevant information submitted by the Maltese authorities has indicated that the requirement under the Sea Directive to undertake an environmental assessment does not apply for the said plan," the spokesman said.