Since Malta joined the European Union 11 years ago, the country has seen huge improvements as a result of the investments that EU membership can bring. As you move around the islands, the number of projects, including road developments, waste management, healthcare facilities and environmental improvements with large signs promoting the funding received from the EU is incredible.

There have been very many other hidden benefits of EU membership that are not so immediately obvious. When it joined the EU, Malta was obliged to transpose a whole series of rules, known as directives, into Maltese law. The birds and habitats directives are just two of them but, as a result of applying them, about 14 per cent of the land of the Maltese islands is now protected as Natura 2000 sites. Before this only about two per cent was protected.

The Natura 2000 sites are familiar places such as Dingli cliffs, Buskett, Comino and Ramla. Not only are they some of the best areas of Maltese countryside, the Natura 2000 sites are also our best areas for wildlife. In fact, they are so important that they are valued at the European scale too and form part of a network of areas designed to protect nature across the continent.

There have been very many hidden benefits of EU membership that are not so immediately obvious.

Very soon Malta will also be designating some significant marine areas as Natura 2000 sites, adding to the network of areas across European seas that are important for wildlife, including dolphins, turtles and seabirds.

If Malta were not a member of the EU, it is unlikely these special places would be so well protected or be eligible for significant EU funding that is available to help care for them.

The Birds Directive is one of the most long-standing of EU directives. Bird conservation is, of course, controversial in Malta because the government applies exceptions, known as derogations, to allow spring hunting and bird trapping. These are activities the Birds Directive prohibits.

Notwithstanding this anomaly, Malta’s application of the Birds Directive has resulted in a longer list of birds that cannot be hunted being registered as protected species and has, at least, forced the government to consider the impact of hunting on birds.

There can be little doubt that, even on the controversial issues of hunting and trapping, EU membership and the directives that come with it have been beneficial in achieving greater control of the worst excesses that existed before the country joined.

All this progress could be under threat. Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has launched a review of the birds and habitats directives.

Malta is one of 10 EU countries where an in-depth review is already taking place. Feedback from Malta will be especially interesting because it is a small and more recent member of the EU. The European commissioner responsible for the environment is Karmenu Vella, so the Maltese experience will, no doubt, be interesting on a more personal level.

So far, representatives of the European Commission have met the government, stakeholders and environmental NGOs to gather their feedback.

NGOs have been very positive about the directives, highlighting the greater protection of nature and increased investment they have brought to protecting some of the Natura 2000 sites. The NGOs have also expressed deep concern about the impact on any weakening of the directives that could result in less protection of the Natura 2000 sites that could lead to development or the down-listing of any type of wildlife that could lead to unsustainable exploitation leading to their long-term demise.

These are real threats that could result in less wild countryside and less wildlife both in Malta and more widely across the EU.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation about the review of the directives. Already, over 100,000 people from across the EU have sent feedback.

If you want to see more turtles in the Mediterranean and not less, or you want to be sure that places like Buskett can continue to be protected and receive EU funding to improve them, please take part in the consultation. Just visit https://www.naturealert.eu/en to find out how you can get involved.

Just a few minutes of your time online could help to save European nature.

Steve Micklewright is executive director of BirdLife Malta.

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