MEPA Watch | Sunday, 19 July 2009

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Robert Musumeci observations on the proposed MEPA reform – part 2

Robert Musumeci’s Highlights
In today’s article, I will focus on the changes being proposed to the MEPA Board as part of the much awaited MEPA reform. In fact, the following salient changes are being proposed: MEPA’s board composition should include a person coming from civil society organisations or NGOs in order to further strengthen the Board’s environmental dimension; and a person with knowledge and experience in cultural heritage in order to further contribute towards the sensitization of development towards our common heritage.

Robert Musumeci’s observations
To date, the strategic aim of the MEPA Board was to provide strategic guidance for the Planning Directorate and the Environment Protection Directorate, ensuring the organisation fulfills its functions and responsibilities efficiently and effectively in line with its legal obligations. The Board meets every fortnight to determine policies, plans, conditions and procedures on development control and environment protection.
With the advent of the reform, the Board will no longer be responsible for the formulation of policies since strategic policy will be channeled to the Office of the Prime Minister. Nonetheless, one of the main functions of the MEPA Board shall remain with the determination of major development applications.
It goes uncontested that environmental NGOs play an important role in society, and their presence in the MEPA Board should, prima facie, be construed as a genuine attempt to secure a wider representation. The reform also proposes that one of the selected Mepa Board members is experienced and knowledgeable in cultural heritage.
However, it bears to recall that the former minister who was entrusted with MEPA had appointed the Nature Trust president as a MEPA Board member in a similar tentative to secure a wider representation on the board. Yet the same member, a man of integrity and whom I have a lot of respect for, soon became the centre of heavy media criticism when it transpired that he voted in favour of the sanctioning of 13 illegal boathouses built right next to the inland sea at Dwejra. Weeks later, the same member relinquished his post for unknown reasons .
In parallel, it must be recalled that the present MEPA Board already hosts one of the most versed architects in architectural conservation. In fact Perit Michael Ellul has concurrently served the MEPA Board and the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee for a great number of years giving a sterling service.
Even though the formal representation of NGOs and a person with knowledge and experience in cultural heritage on the MEPA Board is construed as a genuine attempt in an effort to clamp undue criticism, it must be pointed out that such recommendation was already in place – nonetheless, the Authority was not spared from continuous mudslinging.
In the context of the proposed reform, the DCCs whose role is entrusted with deciding mainstream development applications (which will be focused upon in next Sunday’s article), the appointed members shall be obliged to relinquish all private work related interests. On the other hand, the proposed law contemplates a scenario where the MEPA Board (which is entrusted with the decision of major projects), shall include within its core, members from ENGOS’s, with a clear vested interest.
Although, one should not doubt the integrity of such representatives, the idea of having an NGO representative having to decide on an application which his organization may be strongly objecting to is, to say the least, disturbing. In such cases can an individual advances outside interests? Is such a situation conducive to a clear conflict of interest? Was it stated that the reform is designed to eliminate all potential conflict of interests, which have been at the centre of so much controversy in recent years. The writing in on the wall. MEPA Board should include a member who has a knowledge of environment related matters, however with no potential conflict of interest.

Next week MEPAWATCH will focus on the proposed changes in the DCCs

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