Employees of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) will get the chance to air their views and offer suggestions as part of the consultation process in the run-up to the authority's reform.

Five meetings are lined up for direct feedback from the ground, and Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday met workers from the chairman's office, the PR and customer care sections and the environment directorate.

The meetings are, in fact, being held away from the public eye, directors have been left out and, while suggestions will be noted, names will not, creating a comfortable environment for employees to express themselves freely.

Dr Gonzi said the consultation process has reached an advanced stage in terms of the analysis of ideas that have been gathered. Common ideas have clearly emerged and can be compiled under specific chapters, he added.

He told Mepa employees present that "it is time for the pendulum to swing more towards the environment than development", harping on the implementation of the concept of sustainable development during this legislature.

The Mepa reform was the largest Malta would be experiencing, bringing about a change in quality of life even for the decade ahead, Dr Gonzi said, adding that lessons had to be learned from mistakes made.

He said the aim of the reform was to build on the good of the authority, strengthening its efficiency, transparency and enforcement more than they already were, adding that aspects of the law put a muzzle on the authority.