The European Commission has been asked to look into an initiative promoting ‘plastic-free’ beaches that has been criticised as being misleading.

Plastic still litters Ġnejna beach despite the White Flag. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The White Flag initiative came under fire following media reports that local companies had paid up to €25,000 each to be associated with the ‘plastic-free’ beaches cleaned up by the organisation behind the venture.

Seven beaches have so far been cleaned up as part of the White Flag initiative. Yet, photographs supplied to this newspaper indicate that plastic continued to be washed ashore at beaches ostensibly certified as “plastic free”.

Nationalist MEP Francis Zammit Dimech has asked Brussels whether any due diligence had been made on White Flag International, the organisation behind the initiative. He also asked whether the Commission still supported the campaign and whether any EU funds had been channelled for such clean-ups directly or indirectly.

European Environment and Maritime Affairs Commissioner Karmenu Vella attended Malta’s White Flag campaign launch in March, according to the Commission’s website.

Environment Minister José Herrera admitted last week no due diligence had been done on the NGO, which, he insisted, had not received any public financing from his ministry.

Responding to questions, the Environment Ministry commended the work done by eNGOs that supported safeguarding the environment and worked “tirelessly through various initiatives for an environmental cause”.

Plastic washed ashore

“In fact, the ministry, through Ambjent Malta and the Environment and Resources Authority has very recently worked together with a local eNGO to immediately collect plastic from Għajn Tuffieħa after strong currents carried debris ashore,” it said.

The ministry would consider repeating such actions if and when required, a spokesman added.

White Flag International has said its work had been “misunderstood”.

“We were surprised with false accusations because it is obvious that no profound research was done,” a spokesman said.

White Flag International had been in constant communication with the Environment Ministry and the ERA about its clean-up activities, the spokesman added.

Asked about plastic being washed up on beaches, the spokesman said certified marine areas were being monitored twice a year, before and after the tourism season.