A united front of ten NGOs has sent an open letter to Prime Minister Robert Abela to express “profound disgust” at the draft legislation presented by the Government in Parliament last week.

These draft Bills seek to amend the Development Planning Act and the Environment and Planning Review Tribunal Act.

The organisations warned that these proposals represent nothing short of “a Government attempt to dismantle the few remaining safeguards in the environmental and planning sectors – already in a severely compromised state – and in effect, reflect a wish list from the developers’ lobby.”

In a joint statement, the organisations argued that “it is crystal clear that these proposed laws do not amount to any form of ‘reform.’ Rather, they are tools designed to facilitate a complete takeover of the country by the development lobby.

In light of this “deeply concerning situation,” the organisations are calling a Press Conference, to be held today, Monday, the 28th of July, at 6pm, in front of Parliament.

The organisations reiterated that they have, for years, been requesting a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Abela to discuss the urgent reforms needed in the planning sector – foremost among these being a reform of the planning appeals process.

They added that Prime Minister Abela, however, “not only ignored these repeated requests for dialogue, but has now gone a step further by drafting new laws that seek to completely dismantle the existing legal structures that ensure a minimum of decency within the planning system.”

In their letter to the Prime Minister, the organisations condemned the total lack of transparency in the drafting of these laws, noting that no form of public consultation was ever carried out.

They further highlighted the Government’s decision to rush through these dangerous laws during the summer – “a tactic unworthy of a democratic government. These are the dangerous signs of a Government captured by powerful interests, eroding the very foundation of democracy in our country.”

The organisations renewed their urgent appeal for the immediate withdrawal of these dangerous bills. They warned that the country “now stands at a critical crossroads: should the Government persist in enforcing these laws, it would spell disaster for Malta and for the future of its children.”

The organisations concluded by once again calling on the Government to launch a transparent and inclusive process for reform in the environment and planning sectors.

The ten organisations are:

Azzjoni: Tuna Artna Lura

BirdLife Malta

Din l-Art Helwa

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar

Friends of the Earth Malta

Ghawdix

Moviment Graffitti

Nature Trust – FEE Malta

Ramblers Association

Wirt Ghawdex.

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