Malta's coastal bathing waters were given the EU's approval last year for the first time since accession in 2004.

According to a new assessment issued today in Brussels, the European Commission said that all of Malta’s beaches and coastal bathing areas, 87 in total, last year registered an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ water quality level according to rules set in EU directives. Also, for the first time in many years, none of Malta’s bathing areas have been closed due to non-conformity with EU quality levels.

Malta has invested heavily in this area since its accession to the EU and millions of euros of EU funds have been spent in the building of sewage treatment plants. Before, all raw sewage used to be flushed into the sea without being treated.

In 2005, Maltese bathing waters had a compliance rate of just 33.3 per cent. In 2009 this reached 100 per cent.