NGO rep Spiteri stands firm as rift deepens over planning board role

The new representative for environmental NGOs on the Planning Authority board has defended his appointment, denying any conflict of interest with his day job at the Planning Ministry.

Jorge Spiteri, who was appointed to the board in July, said he does not believe there to be any issue with him serving in both positions.

His appointment drew sharp criticism from several environmental non-governmental organisations (eNGOs), however, which described it as a “blatant conflict of interest”.

Spiteri also serves as deputy chair of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS), and works as an architect and civil engineer within the Ministry of Gozo and Planning.  Several eNGOs argue that his roles are incompatible with the impartiality expected from a representative on the board.

“This blatant conflict of interest makes a mockery of the whole process and of the impartiality of the PA Board as it is composed today,” the organisations said in a joint statement.

“Having Mr Spiteri as the eNGO representative on the PA Board borders on the surreal.”

The groups also claimed Spiteri’s appointment was not only problematic due to his professional roles, but also because of the process by which he was nominated.

They argue the nomination process was “seriously compromised”, saying Spiteri was nominated by the MCVS and not by environmental NGOs themselves, in breach of the law.

“He was immediately appointed to serve on the PA Board. This was in breach of the law as the eNGO representative has to be nominated by the eNGOs themselves,” the organisations said.

The statement was signed by the Ramblers’ Association of Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, BirdLife Malta, Moviment Graffitti, Nature Trust Malta, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth Malta, Wirt Għawdex and Għawdix.

All the signatories have called for Spiteri’s resignation as their representative. 

Spiteri addressing a press conference organised by Safi Residents in 2024 Photo: Il-Kollettiv

'I don't see a conflict of interest'

Speaking to Times of Malta earlier this week, Spiteri rejected the calls and said he intends to serve out his full three-year term.

“I don’t see this as a conflict of interest. My work has nothing to do with my role on the planning board,” he said.

He added that if a project he worked on, or one submitted by the ministry, were to come before the board, he would declare a conflict and step aside.

“And for that reason, as well as possible travel, I would like to appoint a substitute in my place,” he said.

“Malta is quite small, and a conflict of interest can occur. To mitigate that, I want to have a substitute for my role.”

Spiteri said he intends to amend the terms of reference to allow for a substitute representative. He also wants to reform the nomination process to avoid a repeat of the current situation.

“I think three months before the representative’s term comes to an end, all NGOs are informed so they can nominate someone in a good time frame. Furthermore, one month before the term comes to an end, the new rep begins the handover process with the previous one,” Spiteri said.

He claimed he was not informed that the previous representative, Romano Cassar, was nearing the end of his term.

“I was never contacted despite all my years of working in NGOs,” Spiteri said, calling for more transparency and better communication between environmental NGOs.

He warned that if the nomination process was not amended, "history will repeat itself."

He said MCVS, where he is deputy chairperson and sectoral representative for the environment and animal welfare, was only given three days to put forward a name for the board role.

“This is an insult to NGOs,” he said. “This should have happened way before and not been so rushed. It shows that the Planning Board doesn't care or understand how NGOs work.”

'There is an agenda against me'

Spiteri pointed out that there were over 60 registered environmental NGOs, making it impossible for a proper nomination process to take place in such a short timeframe.

He believes that some of the opposition to his appointment stems from long-standing disagreements within the environmental sector.

“There is an agenda against me because I accept [hunting lobby] FKNK as an environmental NGO. I didn’t decide that FKNK should be an eNGO; other authorities did, but I don’t feel the need to challenge it,” he said.

He noted that the planning minister is also sympathetic to FKNK, which he said may further fuel concerns among older environmental NGOs.

Despite the controversy, Spiteri said he has no intention of stepping down.

“I am there to stay for the next three years. There has been no wrongdoing on my end, so my resignation is uncalled for.”

Spiteri said he is committed to improving transparency and fostering communication among environmental groups.

“My door is open for everyone.”

Nominations reopened

The nomination process for the eNGO board representative is now being reopened. MCVS has launched a new process allowing NGOs to nominate their preferred candidate for the post. The two nominees are Spiteri and Romano Cassar, the previous representative.

An online vote is scheduled to take place on September 25 and 26. However, the same nine NGOs that criticised Spiteri’s appointment are now calling for the vote to be halted and for Spiteri’s nomination to be withdrawn.

“This will leave Mr Romano Cassar as the only legitimate candidate for the post of eNGO representative, and one who enjoys the backing of all the main environment groups in Malta,” they said.

Coalition of support

Not all eNGOs oppose Spiteri, however. A separate coalition of seven other groups has come out in support of his appointment and criticised the backlash against him.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the coalition said the “criticism levelled at Spiteri is unfair and misguided, and counterproductive to the interests of civil society”.

The organisations acknowledged that the nomination process “did not follow any set protocol — as has happened in the past with previous nominations”, but insisted “this is not down to any action or manoeuvring from Spiteri’s side”.

The groups described Spiteri as a person of “integrity” with a solid track record of activism. His employment within a government ministry, they said, is not enough to disqualify him.

They argued it would only be a conflict of interest if Spiteri prioritised personal or commercial gain over the interests of environmental NGOs.

“There are several activists, even among the eNGOs who issued the statement, who are employed by the government or receive funding from the state; nobody doubts their integrity, because their track record speaks for them,” they said.

They stressed the importance of having a representative who is inclusive of all registered NGOs, which they feel has not always been the case.

“We welcome the election to decide the representative, which will be held in September,” they said.

They also noted, "The debate on the PA board representative is a needless distraction in light of the proposed planning reforms,"

This second group of eNGOs includes Il-Kollettiv, Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation, Malta Beekeepers Association, Wirt iż-Żejtun, Breeds of Origin Conservancy, Agrarian Society, and the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee.

Spiteri is an administrator for the MaYA Foundation and actively involved in the Malta Beekeepers’ Association.