Labour MEP Joseph Muscat has called on the European Commission to ensure Malta adheres to its obligations and starts monitoring the emissions of carbon dioxide and other hazardous gasses from the power station plants in Marsa and Delimara.

Speaking during a debate on two reports presented to the European Parliament on air quality, Mr Muscat lambasted the Maltese government for allowing the present situation.

"The Commission should note that despite its obligations under the EU rules, Malta is still not in a position to calculate the amount of hazardous emissions emanating from the power stations of Marsa and Delimara. This is unacceptable and the Commission should look into the matter without further delay."

Mr Muscat accused the government of treating the Maltese public unfairly on this issue, charging that important information is being kept back from the public domain.

"It was only following my public intervention that the government admitted that there is still no fixed apparatus measuring the amount of emissions coming out of our power stations. This goes against the current EU directives and the Commission should do something to remedy this situation," he said.

MEPs on Monday voted in favour of two reports presented by its environment committee calling for more ambitious targets for air quality and atmospheric pollution in Europe.

According to the reports, it is estimated that, every year, over 360,000 people die prematurely of ailments linked to air pollution in the EU, especially in big cities and industrial areas.

Last year, the European Commission unveiled a strategy to cut the number of deaths by about 40 per cent by 2020 as compared to 2000. It also put forward a new directive on air quality with new technical rules that reflect scientific developments and with maximum concentrations of the micro particles or atmospheric dust most dangerous to human health - PM25 - which are currently not regulated.