GRTU withdraws support from air quality committee

The Malta Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU) has withdrawn its support for the Malta Standards Authority's technical committee just days before it finalises its draft specifications of air quality inside local entertainment establishments.

The committee meets today for what is expected to be the last time, said Michael Cassar, an engineer within the standardisation directorate, who is in charge of the technical committee.

Contacted by The Times, Mr Cassar said today's meeting will discuss the final draft and if this were agreed upon it would be sent to Health Minister Louis Deguara.

He explained that the committee was striving to establish the technical specifications for the achievement of the best possible air quality.

It is unclear whether the GRTU's officials will be present for today's meeting.

During the general meeting of the GRTU's bars and restaurants section on Tuesday, Gino Cutajar, representing air purifying equipment suppliers, explained that the GRTU's officials left the committee "as a protest against the developments" that took place during the meeting.

The smoking ban was initially supposed to come into force in April but after vociferous complaints by owners of entertainment establishments, a decision was taken to delay the smoking ban in such establishments. Establishments measuring over 60 square meters were given six months to design specific smoking areas while those under 60 square meters have until April 2005 to meet air levels established by the MSA.

At Tuesday's meeting Mr Cutajar said the MSA included areas such as toilets, kitchens and small rooms within the 60 square meter area.

Questioned about this, he said the committee had been informed by the minister that all the premises should be included in the overall area.

Mr Cutajar also said it was not possible for entertainment premises exceeding the threshold limit to separate the areas within due to space restrictions.

"An air purification system would be sufficient," he said.

GRTU director general Vince Farrugia said the government should consider its "hurried approach" and study carefully the effects of such smoking bans in other countries.

He said its effect on tourism could be significant. Other considerations should be made, particularly the costly effect of the new standards on businesses which had already installed such equipment and may need to change to comply with "such high standards".

"It is absurd to impose very high quality standards when the general air quality in the islands still falls behind EU standards," he said.