The F.O.I. has welcomed the initiative of Rural Affairs and Environment Minister George Pullicino to form a working group on waste-to-energy. The federation noted that Mr Pullicino had stated that Malta would start transforming waste into energy before the 2013 date it is committed to.

Since the Waste Management Strategy plan for Malta was issued in 2001, the FOI has always insisted that waste-to-energy should have been urgently introduced and not implemented in 2013.

Throughout the EU, waste-to-energy is seen as a necessary part of waste management, contributing to a clean environment. The World Health Organisation's regional office for Europe has stated: "In general, properly equipped and operated, waste incineration need not pose any threat to human health and, compared to the direct land filling of untreated wastes, may have a smaller environmental impact."

The federation strongly believes that waste-to-energy, as part of a waste management strategy, yields the following benefits:

· a reduction of the waste input both in volume (up to 90 per cent) and in weight (up to 75 per cent);

· recovery of energy from the process, thus using waste as a resource and reducing the use of fossil fuels; and

· reducing reliance on the landfill, especially important for us in Malta, as space is very limited.

It is important to point out that the use of waste-to-energy, in an integrated strategy, does not necessarily mean a lack of commitment to recycling. Countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland have both high recycling rates and high waste-to-energy rates.

The federation recalls that, almost four years ago, Dr Jean-Francois Verstrynge, who at that time was deputy director of the EU Environment Directorate, had stated in a conference held in Malta:

"You have an interest in getting the energy back out from the waste. It is much better, from the standpoint of Europe, that you recuperate some energy and use waste instead of petroleum, than if you dump it."

The FOI looks forward to being involved in the consultation process with the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment, particularly on waste-to-energy related issues.