Opposition says Blue Lagoon report should not be shielded by Cabinet secrecy
The government has rejected calls to publish a carrying capacity study, saying it is a confidential Cabinet document
Updated 6.03pm with Labour response
The Opposition on Friday called for the immediate publication of a Blue Lagoon carrying capacity study, accusing the government of hiding it “under the pretext” of Cabinet confidentiality.
The dispute revolves around a report authored by environmental consultants AIS, which has to date been kept from public view.
In 2023, lawyer Claire Bonello filed a Freedom of Information Request asking for the report to be published. The request was turned down, with ERA citing a law which states that cabinet documents are secret.
Earlier this week, Times of Malta reported that Bonello plans to challenge the decision in EU courts, arguing that the study forms part of the government's EU obligations for Natura 2000 sites such as Comino.
PN MP Rebekah Borg offered up a similar argument during Wednesday’s parliamentary sitting, saying the report could not be a confidential cabinet document, since it was a prerequisite for a management plan for Comino completed over a decade ago.
In a statement published on Friday afternoon, PN said the study has “clear public interest and environmental implications”.
“The public deserves to see the carrying capacity and the decisions being taken in its name,” the party said.
PN said it was “particularly alarmed” by the precedent set by this decision, which suggests that “any document the public has a right to see can be withheld the same way, simply by routing it through Cabinet structures”.
The failure to release the report “undermines trust and obstructs informed public debate,” the opposition said, calling on the government to “stop hiding behind secrecy and the excuse of confidentiality and to publish the study and all related documentation”.
In a statement later on Friday, the governing Labour Party rejected characterisations that information had been hidden, instead arguing the public had been able to notice improvements in the situation on Comino.
The PL noted that last year saw the reserved swimming area expanded, while visitor numbers decreased by 68% compared to previous years.