The Labour Party yesterday called on the government to clarify which agency is responsible for enforcing regulations in connection with efficient energy use in buildings.
MLP environment spokesman Leo Brincat asked whether the Malta Environment and Planning Authority or the Malta Resources Authority was responsible for implementing Legal Notice 238 of 2006. The notice lays down the basic requirements on maximising building energy performance.
Mr Brincat asked how many buildings in Malta were supposed to be in conformity with these regulations, what role architects played in implementing this relatively new legal framework, and whether they were supposed to regulate themselves when they submitted applications.
It was not yet clear, Mr Brincat added, whether the government had appointed a board to monitor whether the provisions of the law are being observed and implemented.
He said the public were entitled to know whether Malta would in future be liable to face EU infringement procedures due to any shortcoming there may be in the implementation of the legal notice.
While a Mepa spokesman had been quoted as saying that the authority was not responsible for the regulation's enforcement, other sources claimed that the implementation of legal notice fell under the MRA's jurisdiction, Mr Brincat said.
"Notwithstanding the government's boasting about its creditials in the implementation of EU legislation, to date it seems that we are still far from being in a position to know how these regulations are being enforced, how many irregularities had been found, and what measures had been taken against the law-breakers," he said.
In a statement last night, the government said the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations were in the process of being amended. From early 2009, all newly constructed buildings would require an Energy Performance Certificate.
This amendment, as well as others, was recently approved by Cabinet. Further amendments are being effected so that buildings with a total floor area of 1,000 square metres and visited by more than 500 people per day - including banks, post offices, large retail establishments and large entertainment facilities - must also display an Energy Performance Certificate.
Other changes include regular inspections of new and existing boiler units and air-conditioning units.
These regulations will come into force during the first quarter of 2009 and will be enforced by the Services Division of the Resources Ministry.
An inspectorate unit within the services division is currently being set up for this purpose.