Update with statement by Minister Clint Camilleri below – Seven environmental NGOs have said that the term of Mr. Romano Cassar, their representative on the Planning Board, was not renewed as of the 22nd of July.

The NGOs, in a joint statement on Thursday, said that the Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri has instead appointed Perit Jorge Spiteri as their representative on the Planning Board. “This has been done against the provisions of Development Planning Act which state that the planning board should have:

“a member representing the interests of environmental NGOs, who shall be chosen from among a number of persons nominated by the said NGOs.”

“None of the undersigned environmental NGOs, which are the major environmental NGOs in Malta, were contacted about this matter. Still less could they have nominated Perit Jorge Spiteri to this post,” they said.

The NGOs are demanding that the appointment of Perit Jorge Spiteri be rescinded and that the environmental NGOs be allowed to nominate their own representatives as specified in article 63 (2) (e) of the Development Planning Act.

The NGOs stressed that the board is “now not regularly composed and that this may compromise the legality of the decisions taken by the board going forward.”

The NGOs also noted that the term of Mr. Romano Cassar was not renewed after the latter condemned the sanctioning of the massive Monterkristo illegal development as “sending the wrong message to the public that people can do whatever they want and apply for sanctioning later.”

The NGOs expressed their thanks to Perit Jorge Spiteri who immediately notified the NGOs of this appointment and acknowledged this anomalous situation.

The joint statement was signed by the Ramblers Association of Malta, Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar, Birdlife Malta, Din l-Art Helwa, Nature Trust Malta, Moviment Graffitti and Ghawdix.

Update: Statement from Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri

In a statement on social media, Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri referred to media reports that the eNGO representative has been removed from the Planning Authority Board.

“As has been done before, shortly before a member’s term is about to end, the Ministry requests the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) to nominate a member for another term,” Camilleri said.

The new nomination was submitted by the MCVS on Thursday, the 17th of July, to include Mr Jorge Spiteri, following the expiry of the previous appointment, and no individual was “removed arbitrarily.”

Mr Jorge Spiteri is qualified as an Architect and Civil Engineer and was elected by the MCVS members as Deputy Chairperson for the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector whereby he represents the environment and animal welfare voluntary sector, the Minister said.

He went on to say that “the eNGO representative was nominated by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS) and in full compliance with article 63(2)(e) of the Development Planning Act.”

Camilleri stated that “the allegations that Mr Romano Cassar was removed due to his position are absolutely untrue. The Ministry appointed the very person who was nominated by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.”

He concluded by saying that “regarding all this, all correspondence has also been communicated to the same NGOs who corresponded with me via email one and a half years ago” ant that he has “no visibility if the eNGOs are in agreement or not between themselves regarding the nominee.?”

File photo: PA

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