It was nonsensical for the proposed new legislation for the demerger of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority to be debated in Parliament's plenary sitting today, when the government had just agreed to a four-week public consultation period, Din l-Art Helwa said.

It said that this insistence by the government to open the debate without waiting for the consultation to take place, turned the process into a complete sham.

Minister Leo Brincat and Parliamentary Secretary Michael Falzon denied civil society the opportunity to put forward their concerns in a transparent and effective manner, it said.

The proposals for the demerger of Mepa, Din l-Art Helwa said, would strengthen the hands of developers and weaken the environmental voice in planning decisions.