Editorial

It is only natural to feel somewhat disappointed at the fact that the only project submitted by Malta for financial assistance under the European Union's environment programme called Life has not been selected.

It would of course be pertinent to ask why has Malta submitted only one project when there would seem to be so many projects that could possibly qualify for assistance under Life.Two reasons have been officially given for this: lack of interest and the EU's complex procedures.

Is it really due to lack of interest? How could there be such lack of interest when environment groups show themselves as being so keen on matters concerning the environment generally? Indeed, a number of them have projects of their own. So, maybe, the reason has more to do with the complex procedures involved, with the cost of drawing up the necessary technical reports for the projects and, also, with the fact that, being so small, there is a limit to what they can do.

If this is a correct reading of the situation, then perhaps a serious attempt ought to be made to work towards greater coordination among them. Working together on common projects would perhaps make it more feasible for them to win more funds, not just from Life but from other programmes as well.

Malta has already benefited in the past from financial assistance under Life. Indeed, last year Nature Trust was allocated €213,030 for the setting of the first coastal nature reserve in Malta. With greater encouragement and sponsorship from the private sector, environment groups would be in a better position to present more suitable projects for consideration under Life and other programmes.

Life, launched in 1992, is described as one of the spearheads of the European Union's environment policy. It co-finances environmental initiatives in the EU and in certain countries bordering the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. This year, some 186 projects were selected and almost all member states have had more than one project approved.

Projects that are of benefit to more than one country would seem to stand a better chance of winning support than others. A project that falls into this category and which must also be of some interest to Malta is a German Life environment project for the treatment of waste water from olive oil mills. Nearly 80 per cent of the world's olive oil production comes from EU member countries.

Oil production leads to considerable ecological problems as waste water from the olive presses has a very high organic content as well as toxic components. The project demonstrated how to effectively treat the water so that it may be safely reused without causing damaging effects to the environment. Life says it has been proved to be an economically viable, multi-use process and could in future be available as an integrated solution for single oil presses or groups of oil presses in the Mediterranean region.

Malta would stand a better chance of getting more financial assistance for environment projects if the ministry, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority and the environment groups were to coordinate their efforts in the presentation of projects.