Pro-environment group Front Ħarsien ODZ has welcomed the decision by Labour MP Marlene Farrugia to reconvene Parliament’s environment committee, which she chairs, to discuss the site selection for the American University of Malta.

The NGO had written to Dr Farrugia asking her for to reconvene the committee in view of the commitment made during a meeting of the same committee on June 15 by Mepa CEO Johann Buttigieg who promised to present the sites being considered for the project’s location to the environment committee.

Despite this, however, no such meeting was held before the Prime Minister announced that the government had chosen two sites, one within development zones in Cottonera and a site in Żonqor which still includes 18,000 square metres of ODZ land on land designated by the local plan as part of a national park.

The NGO said that although the government has published a report which refers to all the sites considered by Mepa,  the report has not been submitted to the scrutiny of Parliament and civil society as promised by Mepa’s CEO.