Environment NGOs have, yet again, voiced their strong opposition to Mepa granting permission to Enemalta to set up an electricity substation serving the 'squatters' village' in Armier.

The decision is due to be taken by Mepa this Friday.

"Common sense instinctively guided the Case Officer to recommend an outright refusal of this application. Apparently the Case Officer has a lot more sense than Enemalta, which should never have submitted this application in the first place," the NGOs said.

They said the squatters are illegally occupying approximately 67,000 sq mt of prime seafront ODZ real estate at Armier bay. 

"Enemalta, in their wisdom, have already supplied these 800 beach rooms with electricity, presumably without asking for a compliance certificate from Mepa, as they normally do for ordinary members of the public. Now Enemalta wants to strengthen the electricity supply, so that these squatters will be better served.

"For a member of the European Union that prides itself on its principles of democracy and justice to allow prime land to be illegally seized, and subsequently have this occupation supported by a government entity, is an insult to every tax-paying citizen of these over-exploited islands."

The NGOs -  Ramblers Association of Malta, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Din L-Art Helwa, Malta Organic and Agriculture Movement, Nature Trust Malta, Friends of the Earth Malta and Birdlife Malta urged Mepa to do what is reasonable, right and morally just, and 'throw out this application'. 

"Mepa has recently been acting a little more responsibly in withholding permits to applicants who are clearly and blatantly abusing the system.  An approval of this application would send out a totally different signal – that of rewarding illegality, and would go down in history as one of the most irresponsible, illegal and unjust precedents that MEPA has ever set."