​Trees are integral to biodiversity as they provide food and shelter for a variety of organisms, stabilise sediment, assist in soil retention and the uptake of runoff waters. They also contribute various ecosystem services, such as cleaner air, noise abatement and the provision of shade, amongst others.

The Trees and Woodlands Protection Regulations (S.L. 549.123) build on, and ameliorate, the previous Regulations​ by affording additional protection to trees and woodlands in the Maltese Islands. About 90 different tree species are now protected under the new Regulations, which include an addition of circa 30 new protected species when compared to the circa 60 tree species covered by the 2011 legislation and its earlier 2001 version. These figures clearly show that the new Regulations have further strengthened Malta’s legislative framework on trees.

Moreover, mature trees over 50 years of age that are found in urban, public, open spaces are now protected, irrespective of what species it is, thereby giving due regard to the social and cultural element that trees provide to urban areas.

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) will also be able to apply a number of other measures to mitigate adverse impacts on trees by limiting the activity of an intervention, transplanting within or outside the site, and demanding compensatory planting.

Another important change in the new Regulations is the requirement to have licensed tree specialists to carry out interventions on protected trees and on trees located within urban, public, open spaces. These individuals will be required to attend specialised courses, focusing on Maltese trees and woodlands, the identification of species, arboriculture and other related matters, thereby ensuring that pruning and other interventions on trees will be done in a diligent manner. ERA will also establish and publish a Register of Licensed Tree Specialists; such measures are currently not in force to enable the appropriate set-up of a training course and licensing system.

The obligations under the new Regulations are also supported by substantial increases in penalties, which are based on the rarity or protection status of the tree/s. The penalties also distinguish between interventions that result in the destruction/ death of the tree (highest penalty), and other lesser interventions. The Regulations also allow ERA to impose administrative fines for infringements against these Regulations.

Additional provisions on the control of invasive, alien or environmentally incompatible species, such as the blacklisting of additional species of Union concern​ and the prohibition on the use of such species in urban landscaping, also feature in the proposed Regulations.

The permitting system that is in place for interventions on protected trees has been strengthened through the promotion of best practice on such works. In order to assist the general public and specialists alike, ERA shall be launching guidelines that assist in the interpretation of the obligations emanating from the proposed Regulations, which also contain sections on the practical implementation of interventions on these trees.

The new Regulations give ERA the power to request a bank guarantee to be tied to a permit, issued through these Regulations. A bank guarantee would be forfeited if the conditions implied in the permit are not adhered to, such as when the trees that have been transplanted, or new trees that have been planted in compensation, are not cared for in a manner to ascertain their survival. This will ensure that ERA will be in a position to maintain the trees themselves, should this be required. It is evident that at the core of these decisions, ERA applies sustainability criteria that go beyond the protection of individual trees.

Other links​

Legislation
Protected Species
Penalties
ERA webpages
Press release
Presentation
​Consultation
BioSnippets
Books on trees
Posters
PosterMaltese versionEnglish version
Maltese treesLinkLink
Il-Ballut tal-WardijaLinkLink
Wied il-MiżiebLinkLink
Sandarac gum treeLinkLink

There are 45 species of bats in the European Union. They occur in a wide range of habitats, including forests, garrigues, urban environments and agricultural land.

Although generally widespread, bats are threatened and vulnerable to habitat change and roost disturbance in several EU Member States. In addition, there are still persistent misunderstandings and prejudices arising from ignorance about bats and their habits. As a result of these impacts, many species are threatened; some have even become extinct in a number of countries.

From an ecological perspective, bats are a good ecological indicator as they are sensitive to very slight changes in their environment. Such responses can be useful in revealing habitat fragmentation, ecosystem stress or changing habitat use, resulting, for instance, from the intensification of agriculture or forestry as well as from various other human activities.

 

Bats roosting
Bats roosting

 

This EU Multi-Species Action Plan (MSAP) covers all bat species occurring in the EU. Its aim is to support the development of national or local action plans and implementation of conservation measures. In particular, it aims to:

Provide baseline data on the status of the species in the EU;

  • Provide scientifically-based recommendations to promote and support their conservation;
  • Establish priorities in bat species conservation;
  • Provide a common framework for a wide range of stakeholders.

The MSAP has been prepared and in consultation with EUROBATS and nominated experts from all EU countries following an extensive review of existing literature up until 2015. In the course of the preparation of the document several meetings and consultations with bat experts were held in order to analyse the threats facing the species, develop a conservation strategy and identify the most important actions.

The MSAP provides a summary of the ecology, distribution, status and threats of the bat species in the EU and offers a series of recommended targets and actions for their conservation to guide Member States in the choice of conservation efforts at national, regional or local level.

Other links

Municipal waste – MSW – may be generated from numerous sources and that its composition is highly heterogeneous formed by a number of different fractions:

Diagram showing the definition of Municipal waste

 

Only recently, specific EU targets for MSW have been set under the Waste Framework Directive, which establishes not only a minimum rate for recycling of MSW, but also number of obligations in relation to separate collection of several waste fractions included within this complex waste streams, namely:

  • Recyclables (i.e. paper and cardboard, metal, plastic and glass);
  • Bio-waste;
  • Textiles; and
  • Hazardous waste streams generated by households, such as WEEE, batteries or medicines.

On the other hand, the Landfill Directive 1999/31/EC also requires the diversion of MSW from landfills as a measure to reduce land use impacts.

Diagram describing the origins of municipal waste

 

 

The movement of waste within the Maltese Islands is regulated by the Waste Management Regulations, S.L. 549.63.

When engaging a waste operator for the management of the waste, the waste producer or waste holder, has to make sure that all the waste operators involved in the management of waste are in possession of the necessary permits from the Authority to perform such activities. Waste carriers and waste management facilities, require a valid permit from the Authority to handle specific waste streams on site.

If the waste being produced is classified as hazardous, then the producer of the waste is required to take the necessary actions to ensure that the production, collection and transportation as well as the storage and treatment of such waste are carried out in conditions that provide protection to the environment and human health.

During all whole process of waste management, i.e. during collection, transportation and storage, the holders of hazardous waste are required to make sure that such waste is securely packaged and labelled according to international and national standards.

Any person intending to transfer hazardous waste or any non-hazardous waste as prescribed by ERA within the Maltese territory is required to notify the Authority before the actual transfer happens. Such transfers are required to be accompanied by a consignment note, and all the waste operators involved in the transfers of such waste are required to be in possession of the necessary permits.

For further details on the procedure to be followed during the transfer of hazardous waste and other non-hazardous waste as identified by the Authority, kindly visit the following link. 

 

Due to their chemical composition and/or other properties, hazardous wastes may pose substantial risks to human health and the environment if not properly managed or released into the environment. Hazardous wastes are generated from many sources, ranging from industrial manufacturing processes to commercial products containing hazardous substances which are discarded after use. Hazardous waste can come in different forms, namely liquid, solid, gas, or sludge.

Some examples of hazardous wastes are:

  • Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE);
  • Spent batteries and accumulators;
  • Chemicals and empty chemical containers;
  • Pharmaceutical waste;
  • Pesticides;
  • Waste from petroleum refining;
  • Asbestos;
  • Waste lubricating oils.

 

The properties which render waste hazardous are set out in Schedule 3 of the Waste Regulations, which are further clarified in Commission Decision 2000/532/EC establishing a List of Waste (Click here to learn more on the Waste Classification and the European List of Waste). Due to the potential threats to human health and the environment, hazardous wastes are subject to a strict control regime covering their entire life-cycle, from generation to final disposal or recovery (the so-called “from cradle to grave” approach).

The Waste Regulations include specific obligations concerning labelling and packaging of hazardous wastes, record keeping as well as monitoring and control procedures on transfers of such wastes within the Maltese Islands. The said Regulations also prohibit mixing of hazardous wastes.

 

Bio-waste is addressed within a number of legal instruments. The Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) defines bio-waste as biodegradable garden and park waste, food and kitchen waste from households, offices, restaurants, wholesale, canteens, caterers and retail premises and comparable waste from food processing plants. The Landfill Regulations (S.L.549.29) go further and define biodegradable waste as any waste that is capable of undergoing anaerobic or aerobic decomposition, such as food and garden waste, and paper and paperboard.

Image describing what is bio-waste. Biodegradable garden & park waste + biodegradable food * kitchen waste.

The recently amended Directive 2008/98/EC addresses general waste management requirements, which also contain specific bio-waste related elements (new recycling targets for household waste, which can include bio-waste) and a mechanism allowing the setting of quality criteria for compost (end-of-waste criteria). It further provides that by 2023, Member States need to ensure that bio-waste is either separated and recycled at source, or is collected separately and not mixed with other types of waste.

The main negative environmental impact of bio-waste is the production of methane from such waste decomposing in landfills, which accounts for a portion of total greenhouse gas emissions. In order to minimise the negative impacts from bio-waste in landfills, the Landfill Regulations oblige the Maltese Islands to by 2020 reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) landfilled to 35% of total BMW generated in 2002.

Separate collection of the organic waste from households was introduced in 2015 as a pilot project in nine localities in Malta and the entire region of Gozo. It has since been introduced on a national scale since the last quarter of 2018. The frequency of kerbside collection per locality is set out in Schedule 3 of S.L.549.40 – the Abandonment, Dumping and Disposal of Waste in Streets and Public Places or Areas Regulations.

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) accounts to about 80% of the total waste arising each year. Such waste is derived from activities related to the construction and demolition of buildings, road planning and maintenance as well as civil infrastructure.

C&D waste generation by type of waste material for 2023

The European Waste Catalogue provides a list of waste streams that are classified as construction and demolition waste, including concrete, gypsum, metals, glass, and asbestos, amongst others.

The European Union has identified CDW as a priority waste stream, with a high potential for recycling and recovery. As a result, the Waste Framework Directive has laid down a minimum recovery target for CDW, whereby Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that by 2020 a minimum of 70% (by weight) of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste, classified under chapter 17 of the European Waste Catalogue, shall be prepared for re-use, recycled or undergo other material recovery.

Since 2013, Malta has attained the stipulated recovery target, mainly through the backfilling of excavation voids with inert CDW, with a trend in recent years favouring recycling treatment operations.

Treatment of C&D waste between 2013-2023

In order to assist in the shift from recovery to recycling and preparing for reuse, the Construction and Demolition Waste Strategy for Malta (2021-2030) identified the need to introduce a new regulatory framework directed at the management of CDW. The Construction and Demolition Waste Framework Regulations (S.L.549.161) (hereafter referred to as the Regulations) were subsequently published in December 2023.

In addition to moving the industry towards a more circular one, the Regulations also aims to ensure the environmentally sound management of CDW by specifying the waste management responsibilities of the industry’s main actors, namely the developer, client, contractors, waste carriers, and site managers.

The Regulations also includes the requirement to submit a Pre-Demolition Audit (PDA) in the case of major applications or high-density residential developments (serving 16 or more residential units). This obligation is applicable as from 1st January 2026. Such developments will also need to meet specific waste management targets as well as targets on re-use and recycled material used in the construction of such developments. Such targets will enter into force by 1st January 2028.

Kindly access the following link for further information on Construction and Demolition Waste.

Documents related to the Construction and Demolition Waste Strategy for Malta:

Registration for approval to carry out Pre-demolition Audits (PDAs) under the Construction and Demolition Waste Framework Regulations (CDWFRs)

Starting from 1 January 2026, all major planning applications and residential developments serving sixteen or more units require a PDA. PDAs can be carried out by warranted periti, certified surveyors, or environmental consultants approved by ERA. Individuals interested in carrying out such audits are invited to log into ERIS using their e-ID and submit their expression of interest to ERA, along with the required documentation:

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Subsidiary Legislation 549.43, the Waste Management (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations as published by Legal Notice 277 of 2006 implements the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility for the management of packaging. S.L. 549.43 (Packaging Regulations) brings into effect the provisions of Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste, which primary aim is to achieve a high level of environmental protection and, on the other hand, to ensure the functioning of the internal European market by avoiding obstacles to trade and distortion and restriction of competition.

The Packaging Regulations supplement the provisions set out in the Waste Regulations by means of providing additional measures, procedures and guidance to all actors involved in the management of packaging and packaging waste, aiming as a first priority, at preventing the generation of packaging waste through better design and increased reuse, as well as at increasing recycling of packaging waste, thus minimising the final disposal of such waste.

In line with Directive 94/62/EC, the Packaging Regulations set ambitious recycling and recovery targets  for packaging waste and put the responsibility of the “waste phase” of packaging onto producers [Click here for the list of producers] .

For more information on packaging and packaging waste and producers’ obligations, click here.

 

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment is considered to be one of the fastest growing waste streams in the EU.  The Waste Management (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Regulations, S.L. 549.89, which brings into effect the provisions of Directive 2012/19/EU, aims to prevent or reduce the negative environmental effects resulting from the generation and management of WEEE by focusing on the sustainable production and consumption through the prevention, re-use, recycling and other forms of recovery of WEEE, with the objective to reduce the disposal of such waste.

These regulations also seek to improve the environmental performance of all operators involved in the life cycle of EEE such as producers, distributors, consumers and operators involved in the collection and treatment of WEEE.

The WEEE Regulations apply to all EEE which depend, generate, transfer or measure electric current or electromagnetic fields with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000V for AC and 1,500V for DC.

Producers of EEE are required to provide for the financing of the collection, treatment, recovery, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE from private households and from users other than private households. Producers of EEE may wish to fulfil their obligations either individually or by participating in a WEEE Compliance Scheme.  For further details on obligations of producers of EEE refer to click here.

Categories of EEE (Non-exhaustive List) covered by the WEEE Regulations:

• Temperature exchange equipment;
• Screens, monitors, and equipment containing screens having a surface  greater than 100 cm2;
• Lamps;
• Large equipment with any external dimension more than 50cm;
• Small equipment with no external dimension more than 50cm; and
• Small equipment with no external dimension more than 50cm; and
• Small IT and telecommunication equipment with no external dimension more than 50cm.

For further details on the WEEE Regulations refer to the FAQs.

 

Diagram describing lifecycle of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment

 

For further information related to registration and renewals with the Authority as well as guidance for self-compliant producers and producer responsibility organisations [click here]