Following the public call for the post of Chief Executive Officer, the Board of the Environment and Resources Authority appointed Dr Louise Spiteri to occupy this post with immediate effect.

Dr Spiteri is specialised in environmental law. She was an assistant lecturer at the University of Malta with the Department of the Law on Environment and Resources.

Dr Spiteri studied at the University of Malta, where in 1999 she was awarded a degree in Law and two years later she was awarded a Magister Juris Degree in Public International Law. In 2000 she joined the public sector as a legal officer with the Department of Environmental Protection. In this role, she participated in the negotiation of a number of EU environmental laws. She was also appointed as Secretary of the National Board for Sustainable Development, established in March 2002.

In 2003 she joined the diplomatic body in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Here, she followed international legal issues and EU affairs. In 2005 she was engaged as lawyer linguist with the European Court of Justice. And in 2007 she joined the Attorney General’s Office and dealt with EU negotiations and infringements brought infront of the same Court.

During the years 2011 and 2013 she acted as President of the Council for the Professions Complementary to Medicine (CPCM) and President of the Appeals Committee. Currently, she is a member of the European Legal Experts Forum on Climate Change Adaptation.

Dr Spiteri published articles on environmental law and has also coordinated several EU projects and programs.

The ERA Board congratulates Dr Spiteri in her important role within the Authority, and in her work as the main environmental regulator.

The Environment and Resources Authority is issuing the following statement in relation to the abandoned quarry in the limits of Siġġiewi, known as Magħlaq quarry.

This quarry is subject to an environmental permit to restore the quarry. Following an inspection carried out by ERA on 1 February 2018, officers observed that inert material was being stored in an area that is not permitted for this purpose.

Immediate instructions were given to the operator to submit a method statement to clear the area by removing the said material. The time-frames proposed by the operator to clear the area were not to the satisfaction of ERA. In this regard the operator was instructed to remove the material by mid-March.

ERA will continue to monitor the site to ascertain compliance.

 

Officers of the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) attended to an injured turtle encountered whilst during their surveying works on the shingle beach at Fomm ir-Riħ. The officers responded quickly to the stranded turtle, by informing the relevant entities and caring for the animal until the NTM volunteers arrived on site, who then transferred the injured turtle to the San Luċjan facility, manned by Nature Trust Malta.

L-Awtorita` għall-Ambjent u r-Riżorsi tixtieq tinforma l-pubbliku illi għall-ħabta tal-16:00 rċiviet rapporti ta’ tniġġiż fil-bajja ta’ San Ġorġ u l-madwar ġewwa San Ġiljan, fejn minnufih intbagħtu uffiċjali tal-istess Awtorita` sabiex jispezzjonaw is-sit.  Irriżulta illi waqt li kien qiegħed isir xogħol f’sit ta’ kostruzzjoni, daħal ilma illi tħallat mat-trabijiet f’dan is-sit u niġġeż l-inħawi tal-madwar meta ġie mbattal is-sit. L-Uffiċjali tal-Awtorita` intervjenew minnufih sabiex b’mod immedjat jitwaqqaf kull xogħol li kien qiegħed isir, filwaqt illi ordnaw sabiex is-sitwazzjoni tiġi rettifikata mill-aktar fis possibli.

L-uffiċjali tal-Awtorita` għadhom fuq il-post sabiex jassistu fl-investigazzjonijiet mill-awtoritajiet konċernati.

 

With reference to the article titled “Law Enforcement on holiday” penned by Ms. Anne Zammit dated 14th January 2018, published on the Sunday Times of Malta and the online news portal, ERA would like to clarify that the operations of its Enforcement Unit were not interrupted during the festive seasons. In fact, ERA handled 12 enforcement-related cases during this period. Some of these cases were lodged through the automated system.

ERA clarifies that the automated voice recording of its emergency contact number informed callers that the lodging of environmental emergencies was indeed still operative.

Adverts informing the general public which ERA functions (in addition to the enforcement function) would remain operative during the shutdown period appeared on various newspapers. This apart from being featured prominently on the ERA website for the whole period.

Claire Cordina Borg
Unit Manager National Affairs
Environment and Resources Authority (ERA)

 

The Waste Shipments Inspection Plan, pursuant to the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1013/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2006 on shipments of waste and its amendments, provides policy direction for waste shipments inspections in Malta. Various tools and practices, particularly regarding increased cooperation between entities involved in shipments of waste inspections are amongst the key measures identified in this plan. The plan reviews the current issues related to waste shipment inspections and analyses and provides direction regarding which measures should be further enhanced in order to reduce illicit movements of waste during exports, imports and transits of waste.

This plan was also subject to a screening process as required under the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations (S. L. 549.61).

A copy of the plan can be found here: ​MT – Waste Shipment Inspection Plan final.pdf

A copy of the SEA Checklist can be found here: SEA Checklist WSIP signed .pdf

 

ERA’s Operating Procedures on Beach Cleaning are being launched to guide site managers and beach cleaners on a number of beach cleaning operations so that these do not unduly impact the ecology of the beach. These procedures will facilitate the environmental permitting procedure that is already in place for the cleaning of such environmentally sensitive beaches.

The document covers a number of issues, such as how and when sea grass – Posidonia oceanica – can be removed. Other more specific sections on ecological, operational and waste management considerations are also included. The document was also designed to capture environmental permitting requirements, whether these are related to nature or waste, in one section so as to facilitate this process for applicants.

Through these operating procedures, the document aims to attain as near a balance as possible between keeping beaches clean for the enjoyment of the general public and protecting the ecology of these environmentally sensitive beaches. Beaches are a popular destination especially during the summer months. Many a times, this brings about issues of litter or other waste that are left on site. In addition, human debris accumulated on the shore can pose a hazard to both humans and animals if left unmanaged. The cleaning of beaches is therefore an important tool for visitor management and amenity. However, insensitive or incautious cleaning methodologies can be detrimental to the environmental characteristics of beaches. Adverse impacts can be particularly consequential in areas protected specifically for their environmental value.

One major environmental value is the role played by Posidonia oceanica, which provides food and habitat for a variety of species. Even when it washes ashore, it continues to serve important purposes – providing a place where sand collects to help build beaches and dunes and prevent erosion, providing nutrients for coastal systems and areas where birds and other animals forage and find shelter. Posidonia oceanica should therefore, as a rule, be left in place for as long as possible during the year especially when the incidence of rough weather is higher, so as to maintain a healthy sand budget.

For further information, please contact:

Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) T: + 356 2292 3500 E: [email protected]

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) hosted a successful 4 day international conference on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean as part of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project between the 11th and 14th September. The conference presented the current activities being undertaken in relation to the project and MPAs in Malta, and brought together 95 participants from seven Mediterranean States, including a wide range of local stakeholders from government entities, the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and research institutes, as well as members of the general public.

The results presented are part of the ongoing LIFE BaĦAR project which has the aim of designating new MPAs for reefs and caves and is linked with ERA’s current consultation process on the setting up of management plans for MPAs.

During this conference, the work done and results of the project were presented by members of the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project team within the ERA, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Department of Biology of the University of Malta, and Oceana.

Speakers from ERA described the efforts made on the Natura 2000 network in Malta and related challenges and provided an overview of ongoing work to develop management measures for MPAs alongside with the ongoing implementation of the national marine monitoring programme.

Foreign experts shared their experience on a national and regional level on the management of marine protected areas and monitoring methods for reefs, marine caves and seagrass beds. Speakers included representatives from the European Union Commission, the United Nations Regional Activity Centre on Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA) and the Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Network (MedPAN), as well as leading experts on reefs, marine caves and seagrass beds from various research institutes.

Participants also engaged in discussions on management and monitoring aspects as an opportunity to exchange views, ideas and experiences and discuss how challenges could be addressed, both in plenary Q&A sessions as well as focused breakout sessions.

The conference was fundamental to provide insights on common challenges faced by different Mediterraean countries in relation to effective MPA management, and kick-starting the management planning processes for local MPAs, which requires strong institutional cooperation. Local stakeholders and other conference participants noted that a participatory approach is key to effective protection, with users and stakeholders of the marine environment having a key role to play in the management of protected areas.

The project budget for the LIFE BaĦAR for N2K project is of €2.6 million, 50% of which is co-financed by the EU LIFE funding programme. The project commenced in October 2013 and will run until June 2018.

The LIFE BaĦAR for N2K aims to extend existing marine Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) and identify new SCIs in Maltese waters for inclusion within the Natura 2000 network. The project is coordinated by ERA in association with the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, the Department of Biology of the University of Malta and Fundación Oceana. The LIFE BaĦAR for N2K (LIFE12 NAT/MT/000845) Project is 50% co-financed by the EU LIFE+ Funding Programme.

For more information visit www.lifebahar.org.mt

As one of the project partners of the COCOON Project (Consortium for a Coherent European Landfill Management Strategy), the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) shall be attending the third Inter-regional Exchange of Experience (IEOE) meeting next week in Germany. During this meeting, representatives from the project partners from Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Cyprus and Malta will further discuss the landfill policy document and a mapping report, which will be presented as one of the outcomes of the project. The IEOE meeting will also include site visits to remediated and active landfills in Germany.

This meeting follows the second IEOE meeting which was hosted by ERA between 31st May and 2nd June. During this meeting 20 representatives discussed improvements of regional policy on landfilling. The meeting also included site visits in Malta to exchange knowledge and experience on successful local rehabilitation projects. As one of the outputs of the project, the partners discussed the policy document mentioned above.

On 29th May, ERA also hosted the first local stakeholder meeting during which the attendees engaged in fruitful discussions on various issues on future management possibilities of landfills. Another stakeholder meeting is planned to take place towards the end of the year.

This project has a total budget of €1.4M with around €176, 000 going to the Maltese partners, ERA and Wasteserv Malta Ltd, at a co-financing rate of 85%. Its total duration is 60 months and will run until December 2021.

The European Commission is currently in the process of recruiting six experts to join the European Green Capital and European Green Leaf Awards Expert Panel.

Click here for more information.