Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar (FAA) is encouraged by recent developments leading to the setting up of a Register of Environment Impact Assessment Consultants, a measure FAA has been calling for ever since its inception.

In a statement it said that the Registration and Review Board that was set up would ensure that professionals carrying out environment assessments and coordination had the right qualifications, skills, training and experience to draw up reports within their specific field.

Moreover, the board would also monitor the results of assessments submitted by consultants only renewing their registration once it was satisfied that ther adhered to the required standard.

WWhile the system being outlined includes a number of checks and balances, FAA highlights the fact that these can only be truly effective if the MEPA EIA department is given the necessary resources, including the possibility of engaging consultants to review EIAs in specialist areas outside MEPA’s remit," it said.

FAA maintained that in an over-populated country like Malta, social impact assessments needed to be given far greater importance than at present in order to effectively protect residents’ health and well-being particularly in over-developed areas.

Similarly, traffic impact assessments of new residential developments needed to be given greater emphasis. This was of particular significance to the health of those communities in areas which had a high degree of pollution at street level due to traffic congestion.

WSince our land is so limited, Malta cannot afford mistakes, as the effect of failed projects is not limited to developers but also borne by neighbouring residents and the general economy.

"For this reason, FAA emphasises that the financial viability of mega-projects needs to be examined at some stage during the assessment process."

The association said that in exceptional cases, particularly in mega-projects backed by the government, the developers’ obligation should include payment for limited EIA reviews that local councils might consider essential to the process.

FAA said that few EIAs had ever recommended against proposed projects.

Although the adoption of a code of ethics and the review process should help to establish a more equitable balance, the process dictates that consultants would still be selected and paid by developers.

FAA supports the proposal that MEPA should adopt the standard court practice whereby experts were paid their fees before submitting their report in court.

This went a long way towards safeguarding consultants’ liberty in expressing an honest opinion and reaching an objective conclusion.

While recognising the sterling work being carried out by MEPA's EIA department, FAA called for measures to ensure that its personnel were able to carry out their work free of conflicts of interest or extraneous pressure.