The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has reviewed the conclusions reached by the Environmental Implementation Review report on Malta, carried out by the European Commission.

It was noted that the European Commission recognises the fact that Malta is one of the leading countries in the EU for reducing primary energy consumption, although the need for waste reduction remains. The Commission also acknowledges the fact that Malta’s 2014-2020 waste management plan recognises the major problems the country is facing with waste management and includes useful policy actions.

Regarding the protection, conservation and enhancement of our natural environment, the Commission notes that the 34 local terrestrial Natura 2000 sites together cover approximately 13% of the total land area of the Maltese Islands. It also welcomes the new designations pertaining to Natura 2000 sites communicated in June 2018, which enhance the protection of reefs and caves.

ERA acts as a regulatory body. Together with the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change and other stakeholders, the Authority prepares various reports and assessments on Malta’s biodiversity. The Authority specifically sees to the implementation of policy, especially from a regulatory perspective, mostly related to the management of protected sites and species, linked with the pressures and threats that could potentially affect them. It also sees to the implementation of policy related to alien species, based on an EU regulation and also including national law. To this effect, various stakeholder meetings are being held, together with educational campaigns aimed at both stakeholders and the general public.

ERA’s water team is seeing to the implementation of the EU Water Acquis, which is primarily linked to achievement of policy objectives and reporting obligations emanating from the EU Water Framework Directive and the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. ERA continues to implement a European Maritime and Fisheries Fund project for the improvement of knowledge and better management practices of pressures on the marine environment. In fact, ERA is expected to absorb the full EUR1.6 million in public eligible EMFF funds allocated for this programme, to continue working towards achieving good environmental status in our marine waters. With regards to air emissions, real time air monitoring stations can determine concentrations of most pollutants every fifteen minutes. This information is publically available on ERA’s website.

Compliance and enforcement measures are being strengthened and consolidated, especially with the setting up of an enforcement directorate in July 2018. Increased personnel, together with efforts directed towards their professional training, are leading to better enforcement measures, including the introduction of daily fines when perpetrators do not comply to set regulations. An administrative fines system is now fully functioning and the Authority has hired two ribs in order to better monitor the sea.​

ERA recognises the importance of the recommendations presented by the European Commission. The Authority is currently in the process of developing the National Strategy for the Environment (NSE), which will be within the terms of the Environment Protection Act.

This long-term approach requires that the ERA focuses on what is necessary beyond the typical 5 to 10 year cycles. The overall objectives of the National Strategy for the Environment are to ensure a better and sustainable quality of life, provide a clear and long-term direction for our environment, set out national environmental targets, address the main environmental challenges Malta is facing and integrate and synergise efforts of all policies and stakeholders who directly or indirectly influence the state of our environment.

Finally, ERA strives continuously in order to engage the public in environmental awareness. In fact, the EU Commission recognises figures from 2017’s Eurobarometer, indicating that Malta has a very strong agreement (93% of respondents) that an individual can play a role in protecting the environment. ERA will continue communicating with various stakeholders and individuals, particularly younger generations, for the sake of environmental awareness, the protection of the environment and sustainable good practices.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) has commissioned a consortium to work on a project that is producing concrete data and information, which will aid in ameliorating management practices and address pressures on marine environmental resources. The project will assist the implementation of Malta’s obligations as an EU Member State in relation to the marine environmental sector.

The results of this project, including stakeholder feedback, will contribute to effective management and sustainable use of marine resources, for the benefit of the environment and of all marine sectors. Through this project, the environmental status of Malta’s coastal and marine waters will be assessed, which will enable Malta to continue working towards achieving Good Environmental Status in Maltese marine waters.

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF 2014-2020) project is entitled “Implementation and updating of marine monitoring programmes, assessment of environmental status and development of a marine database system.” ERA commissioned Malta Marine Monitoring Consortium (M3C), comprised of AIS Environment Ltd (Malta) and AZTI Tecnalia (Spain).

As part of the project tasks, M3C organised the fourth and last stakeholder seminar, which was held on 27th February, 2019. During this session, the project and its main objectives were introduced and results that were collected during the first and second monitoring year were described. Additionally, the final steps of the project were described, together with policy implementation and reporting matters.

Entities including the Ministry of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change, the Ministry for Gozo, the Continental Shelf Directorate, the Environmental Health Directorate, the Planning Authority, and the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture were represented at the workshop.

A closing conference will be held in May, during which the results of the monitoring data and the assessment of environmental status will be disseminated. Furthermore, the marine database system that has been developed as part of this project will also be promoted.

For further information, please contact [email protected] or call on +356 2292 3500 Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is expected to absorb the full €1.6 million in public eligible funds (75% EU 25% MT), which were allocated under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2014-2020 for the implementation of the marine monitoring programme. The results of this project will contribute to effective management and sustainable use of marine resources, for the benefit of the environment and of all marine sectors. Through this project, ERA will also continue working towards achieving Good Environmental Status in marine waters. Maritime and Fisheries Operational Programme 2014-2020 Project part-financed by the European Union European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Co-financing rate: 75% European Union funds; 25% national funds Investing in sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.

A downloadable version of the press release may be obtained from this link​.

Malta is addressing various aspects linked to biodiversity and desertification through the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) regulated by the Environment Protection Act (CAP. 549).

Malta has declared a number of protected areas, covering 28.5% of the land cover of the Maltese Islands, and 35.5% of our marine waters, which also include Natura 2000 sites declared via the same Act and the EU Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43/EEC). Malta has also established a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP)​ that addresses measures and actions for the 2012-2020 period, and is actively developing a National Strategy on the Environment that will update the current National Environment Policy.

Malta ratified the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)​ as an Affected Country Party in 1998. Parities of the UNCCD​ shall implement national action programmes to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought. Malta is progressing towards publishing an action program that identifies the factors contributing to desertification and proposes practical measures necessary to combat land degradation and mitigate the effects of drought.

As part of such functions, ERA generates various environment-related data. Such data includes information relating to desertification, in particular assessments of soil erosion, soil quality and land degradation; determines the conservation status, pressures and threats of relevant protected habitat types and species.

The above-mentioned information helps develop appropriate policy and relevant outreach, management, compliance and enforcement actions. The information also helps assess the environment condition that is published in periodic official State of the Environment Reports.

A PowerPoint Presentation highlighting ‘The role of the Environment and Resources Authority in relation to biodiversity and desertification management’ was delivered during the Mediterranean Coastal Erosion Conference, held in November 2018.

Wara investigazzjonijiet mid-Direttorat tal-Infurzar tal-Awtorità għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi f’dawn l-aħħar jiem, irriżulta li meded tat-Trejqa tal-Virtù fir-Rabat u ta’ trejqa rurali oħra, ġew imwessgħin konsiderevolment fil-wied li kien jgħaddi maġenbhom. Bnadi minn dawn it-trejqiet issa ġew għandhom żewġ karreġġjati u l-wied spiċċa qisu trinka ta’ maġenb triq.

Minħabba f’dawn ix-xogħlijiet, irriżulta li kien hemm qerda tal-ambjent naturali konsegwenza tat-tqegħid ta’ materjal ta’ kostruzzjoni fuq art li qabel kienet ikkolonizzata b’veġetazzjoni naturali, u bidla fiżika tal-profil ta’ wied u tal-korsa naturali tan-nixxiegħa tal-ilma.

Apparti minn hekk dawn ix-xoghlijiet kollha qed isiru mingħajr il-permessi neċessarji mill-istess Awtorità.

Konsegwentement iktar kmieni llum, l-uffiċjali tal-Awtorità ħarġu ordni ta’ waqfien verbali (verbal stop order) lill-kuntrattur – Galletta Construction Limited, u lill-Infrastructure Malta, skont il-provvedimenti tal-Att dwar il-Protezzjoni tal-Ambjent, filwaqt li iktar tard inħareġ ukoll Ordni ta’ Waqfien u Konformità (Stop and Compliance Order) formali – OWK0015/19 li ġie nnotifikat u huwa applikabbli mil-lum stess.

Ġiet infurmata wkoll l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar bil-każ.

Intant, l-Awtorità għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi qiegħda tinvestiga diversi każijiet oħra ta’ interventi fuq toroq rurali u mhumiex, fosthom f’Wied is-Sewda.

ERA recently attended the Specially Protected Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC) Symposia on Mediterranean Marine Key Habitats and ‘Non-Indigenous Species’ (NIS) held in Antalya, Turkey from 14 to 18 January 2019. Scientists, researchers, Non-Governmental Organisations and national representatives from all over the Mediterranean met to exchange knowledge on marine biodiversity conservation and enhance cooperation to achieve the good environmental status of the Mediterranean Sea. The symposia covered four distinct but intertwining themes:

  • 6th Mediterranean Symposium on Marine Vegetation (proceedings);
  • 3rd Mediterranean Symposium on the Conservation of Coralligenous and other Calcareous Bio-Concretions (proceedings);
  • 2nd Mediterranean Symposium on the Conservation of Dark Habitats (proceedings), and
  • 1st Mediterranean Symposium on the Non-Indigenous Species (proceedings).

The symposia provided an opportunity to exchange scientific data and research findings on marine biodiversity conservation, and promoted cooperation between all participants. Key note conferences, oral communications, poster sessions and round tables were held to present the most recent studies dealing with marine key habitats and species introduction in the Mediterranean Sea, and to discuss the best strategies for biodiversity conservation and restoration. A photographic exhibition on marine habitats and non-indigenous species was also held at the conference venue during the symposia.

The information shared and the discussions held at these symposia will help ERA with many of its ongoing programmes of work under important international and regional policies, such as the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and Birds Directive (2009/147/EC); SPA/RAC’s Protocol  for  Specially  Protected  Areas  and Biological  Diversity  in  the  Mediterranean  of  the Barcelona Convention (the SPA/BD Protocol); the Bern Convention; the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Malta’s national law S.L. 549.44, the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations.

Such regional events are important to promote collaboration, and ensure that all stakeholders in the Mediterranean Sea are working with the most recent information available, to improve the environmental status of our Mediterranean Sea.

Action was taken by the Environment Resource Authority’s Compliance and Enforcement Directorate on Santa Marija Bay Area in Comino, to clean the debris pertaining to camping activities, and also halted camping activities in this area. Such activities adversely impact on the integrity of this Special Area of Conservation, and were not covered by the required ERA permits. The halting of camping activities in the Santa Marija Bay area and its eventual reinstatement is in line with the approved Management Plan for Comino and its surrounding islets.

ERA’s Compliance and Enforcement Directorate intervened directly noting that the perpetrator remained unknown throughout the investigations, and also took action to clean Santa Marija Bay.

All camping related equipment and litter that was present on site was dismantled and taken away. Fire-pits present in the area were also dismantled. Over one tonne of material ranging from tents, poles, crockery and bedding, to tanks and sinks was collected and transported to Gozo by means of licensed waste carriers and adequately disposed of.

This action was taken following the issuance of a stop and compliance order on December 2018 for unpermitted camping and barbecuing activities.

For further information kindly contact [email protected]

A new endemic species has been described from the Maltese Islands, this being unique to our islands. This species, known as the Maltese Ferule or il-ferla in Maltese, has been first described scientifically as Ferula melitensis, in the recent scientific publication, Phytotaxa, published on the 10th December 2018.

Mix-up with the Common Ferule

This species is unique to the Maltese Islands; and hence is endemic and differs significantly, both morphologically and genetically from the other European and African ferule species, but showing closer links with the Tunisian Ferule (Ferula tunetana), which is also absent from Malta. It is interesting to note that the Tunisian and Maltese Ferules were both originally thought to be the Common Ferule (Ferula communis), with which our new species was previously confused.

Essentially, the Maltese plant is stockier than the Common Ferule, which is absent from Malta, with clear differences in the leaves, flowers, flowering period, fruits and seedlings.

The species is quite common in Malta, where it grows in different soils and habitats, including local xagħri, fallow or abandoned fields, countryside road verges and xeric grasslands (these being typical of our very dry climate).

Practices and Uses

Traditionally, the species was used for the treatment of dysentery or the treatment of skin infections. However, such uses are discouraged, as the plant can be poisonous if inappropriate dosage is employed.

In addition, dried stalks were used to sharpen razor blades or as a substitute of ‘firewood’; indeed, the dried pith was sometimes also used as a slowly-burning tinder.

The ferules are also known to produce compounds that have diverse pharmacological effects, including antibiotic/antimicrobial and compounds used in the treatment of cancer. Indeed, the medicinal potential of these compounds is considered as high, with ferulenol being considered as a lead compound in drug discovery.

Scientific Significance

Apart from the intrinsic value of a new species unique to the Maltese Islands, this species also sheds more information on biogeography (the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time), in that they confirm the North African affinity of some of our unique flora. The origins of the Maltese Ferule are currently assumed to be due to geographic isolation from North Africa as a result of alternating sea-levels in the period between 5.96 to 5.33 million years ago. This is not the first plant species to confirm such link, since many unique endemic Maltese species show North African affinities, like the Maltese Salt Tree (Darniella melitensis; is-siġra tal-irmied) and the Maltese Fleabane (Chiliadenus bocconei; it-tulliera ta’ Malta).

Research on Biodiversity and Current Protection

The Maltese Fennel is a recent discovery from 2018; confirming the recurrent need of obtaining more information on Malta’s native and endemic biodiversity. The find was made by a team from the Universities of Catania, Palermo and Cagliari, with the lead of Professor Salvatore Brullo of the University of Catania. Prof. Brullo is a lead botanist in the Mediterranean region, and is well renowned in local botanical sphere as he has studied and described many Maltese endemic species.

It is also noted that the Maltese Ferule and many endemic species are protected in terms of the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (SL 549.44) under the Environment Protection Act (Cap. 549). Should more information be required on permitting considerations, more information is available here.

More information on the Maltese Fennel can be found in the following publication by Brullo et al (2018).

For further information kindly contact [email protected]

As part of ERA’s commitment in relation to the monitoring of the state of the marine environment and to better our quality of life, ERA has commissioned Malta Marine Monitoring Consortium (M3C), comprised of AIS Environment Ltd (Malta) and AZTI Tecnalia (Spain), to take on the project entitled “Implementation and updating of marine monitoring programmes, assessment of environmental status and development of a marine database system.”

The ultimate goals of this European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF 2014-2020) project are to devise a holistic approach towards marine monitoring and develop a database housing the data collected. Concrete data and information from the project will be used to develop better management practices to address pressures on marine environmental resources. In this regard, the project will assist the implementation of Malta’s obligations as an EU Member State in relation to the marine environmental sector.

The database will be supplemented by relevant marine datasets and will facilitate access of monitoring data to the public. The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is expected to absorb the full €1.6 million in public eligible EMFF funds (75% EU 25% MT), which were allocated for the implementation of the marine monitoring programme.

The workshop held on 11th December 2018 was the third of the four seminars to be held as part of this project. The main objectives of this particular session were to:

  • Introduce the project and its main objectives
  • Give an overview of the progress of the project so far
  • Describe the data collected throughout the project
  • Give an overview of the database and the relevant policy applications

Representatives from M3C (Yasmin Schembri and Yolanda Sagarminaga) presented an introduction to the project, the data collected and technical details on the database. Entities including Ministry for Gozo; the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Continental Shelf Directorate were represented at the workshop. The seminar was closed off with a Q&A session during which some comments were put forward by the attendees, most notably queries regarding the public availability of the database.

The results of this project, including stakeholder feedback, will contribute to effective management and sustainable use of marine resources, for the benefit of the environment and of all marine sectors. Through this project, the environmental status of Malta’s coastal and marine waters will be assessed, which will enable Malta to continue working towards achieving Good Environmental Status in our marine waters.

For further information, please contact [email protected] or call on +356 2292 3500 Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm.

For further information, please contact:

Claire Cordina Borg Unit Manager National Affairs Environment and Resources Directorate Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) T: + 356 2292 3500 E: [email protected]

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is expected to absorb the full €1.6 million in public eligible funds (75% EU 25% MT), which were allocated under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2014-2020 for the implementation of the marine monitoring programme. The results of this project will contribute to effective management and sustainable use of marine resources, for the benefit of the environment and of all marine sectors. Through this project, ERA will also continue working towards achieving Good Environmental Status in marine waters.​

The Annual Biology Symposium 2018 and the publication of Biology Abstracts were generously supported by the Environment and Resources Authority.

For further information, kindly click here​.

 

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA), is participating in an Interreg Europe project called WINPOL – Waste Management Intelligent Systems and Policies. This project aims to improve policies for waste management through the use of intelligent equipment and systems for waste disposal and collection. This will in turn contribute to waste minimisation through improved management procedures and awareness campaigns.

Current technology and innovation in the waste sector allow container-systems to provide information to waste collectors, at real-time, about various parameters including their remaining available capacity and temperature. These Smart bins may be solar-powered and can even compact waste to allow for an increased amount of waste to be collected while eliminating odours. Such ICT-based solutions can be used to analyse usage trends and identify critical groups of waste producers. Information from these bins will be used to improve national policies and increase the efficiency in which the way waste is managed for the public and waste managers.

The knowledge acquired from this project will help Malta achieve both National and EU Waste Targets, improve recyclable waste collection, reduce waste going to landfill and enhance the sustainability of the waste management sector.

WINPOL is led by EMULSA (Municipal Company of Urban Environment Services of Gijón) and involves a partnership of nine European waste management entities from different regions in Spain, Belgium, Greece (Crete), Slovenia, Romania and Malta. This project brings together cities and regions with experience in smart waste management equipment, and those planning to introduce them to share knowledge.

The first project meeting was held in September in Gijon, Spain, which kicked-off the activities related to the project. During this meeting, ERA representatives had the opportunity to meet with the other partners and witness first-hand the intelligent equipment used in Gijon.

The project runs from June 2018 to December 2022, and has a total budget of €1,363,045, of which ERA’s share is €90,967. The project is part-fin​anced by the Interreg Europe 2014-2020 programme at a rate of 85%.

The project officially launched in Malta on Monday 17 December at the Student House Conference Room (SHCR), University of Malta, from 08:30 to 11:00.

Anyone interested in the project can attend the WINPOL information day or contact ERA on [email protected].

For more information:

Phone (+356) 2292 3500

Email [email protected]

The WINPOL project – Waste Management Intelligent Systems and Policies – aims to foster and promote the use of intelligent equipment and planning derived from it, through improved waste management policies, thus contributing to waste minimisation in European cities and regions. Find out more information about the project on www.interregeur