The government is working on ensuring Malta meets its wastewater treatment obligations, Environment Minister Aaron Farrugia said on Friday, after the European Commission took the country to court for dumping sewage in the sea.

On Wednesday the Commission announced it had referred Malta to the European Court of Justice after failing to comply with the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which requires member states to treat wastewater properly before it is dumped in the sea. 

Speaking on Friday, Farrugia declined to elaborate on what had led Brussels to seek action against Malta, saying that responsibility for the implementation of the directive fell with another minister. 

The Environment Resources Authority, which is tasked with ensuring that work carried out on wastewater treatment projects is in line with the directive, falls under Farrugia’s responsibility. 

“I can tell you that the work is ongoing and in the coming days we will have several meetings to ensure that Malta honours its obligations,” he said. 

In its announcement, the commission said that the problem was largely with Malta’s wastewater treatment plants and that the water being dumped into the sea after treatment does not meet the desired quality the EU’s directive sets out. 

Times of Malta has on several occasions reported about untreated farm sludge finding its way into the urban sewage system, creating issues for the Water Services Corporation. 

The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to Malta in December 2016, followed by a reasoned opinion in October 2017. 

Despite some progress, the Maltese authorities have not fully addressed the grievances, the Commission said on Wednesday.

“The Commission considers that efforts by the Maltese authorities have to date been unsatisfactory and insufficient and is, therefore, referring Malta to the Court of Justice of the European Union,” it said.