European Commission to take action against Malta

The European Commission is to take action against Malta after the European Court of Justice found, in October, that the country was not controlling emissions from the Delimara power station as required by EU regulations.

The Labour Party said the Commission had declared its intention when replying to a question by Labour MEP Louis Grech about the effects on public health and on the environment of the new extension of the Delimara power station, which will use heavy fuel oil, a polluting fuel.

Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said that the new extension at Delimara should conform with EU regulations and there should be better pollution control.

The PL said Labour MEP Louis Grech had drawn the attention of the European Commission several times over the last few months to the adverse environmental situation in the south of Malta, compounded by a concentration of plants that impaired the quality of air and threatened the health of thousands of people who live in those areas.

Last February Commissioner Potocnik answered a parliamentary question by MEP Louis Grech on the black dust problem in the south of Malta, by confirming that Malta was exceeding the particulate limits above which there were health risks, that the Commission had opened an infringement case against Malta, and that the Commission was considering opening another infringement case because Malta had failed to adopt an air quality plan.

Earlier this year Louis Grech submitted another question about pollution from power stations, the waste incinerator, the Freeport extension, and other activities in or around the ports which all had an adverse impact.

Commenting about the reply, Mr Grech said that Commissioner Potocnik’s reply confirmed that the Maltese Government was not taking its obligations seriously and was ignoring the negative environmental impact on thousands of people.

“This is not acceptable from a government which has made it a custom to breach the European regulations on air pollution and on the environment in general,” he said.