Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Harry Vassallo yesterday urged Environment Minister George Pullicino to take a final decision on the subject of spring hunting, claiming that the Nationalist government’s reluctance to abide by the terms of the Accession Treaty betrayed a lack of genuine commitment to European values.
“The PN’s European credentials are just a façade. Whoever truly believes in the spirit of Europe should go ahead and implement the European directive, and declare that hunting can no longer take place in spring,” he said yesterday at a press conference in the AD headquarters in Sliema.
“It is unacceptable that the entire country is held to ransom by the egotistical interests of a minority, because of the PN and MLP trying to win their votes by being ambiguous on this issue,” Vassallo continued, while extending solidarity towards the three BirdLife Malta volunteers whose cars were damaged in an apparent arson attack last Sunday.
According to the AD chairman, the hunting issue is only one of a number of areas in which the present government’s commitment to EU membership has been lacking.
“A number of EU laws are being flouted, including the directive on air pollution, as well the SEA (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Directive, whereby studies are supposed to be carried out before major projects.”
Speaking at the same press conference, AD’s spokesman for sustainable development Carmelo Cacopardo also revealed that the Mepa audit report into a permit for a supermarket outside the development scheme in Hal Safi – requested by AD in October 2007 – was completed by 22 December, and has since been passed on to Mepa chairman Andrew Calleja for his comments.
Cacopardo pointed out that according to MEPA’s procedures, the Audit Office cannot publish the investigative report until Mr Calleja returns the document, together with his comments, to the MEPA Auditor. He questioned why the MEPA chairman has taken more than two months to comply with these procedures, which under ordinary circumstances should not take more than a few days.
The application in question was one of seven submitted on behalf of developer Charles Polidano for supermarkets of the LIDL chain in various localities across Malta. MEPA turned down only one of these applications – in Ta’ Mellu in Mosta – while granting two permits outside the development zones as established by the 1990 local plan: one in Luqa, and the other in Safi.
The latter permit was granted against the recommendations of MEPA’s own case officer.
Contacted by MaltaToday, a MEPA spokesman claimed that the audit report was received, not in December, but on January 28.
“The chairman is currently looking into the report, and will be returning it with his comments in due course,” the spokesman said.

rvassallo@mediatoday.com.mt