The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) has published for an 8 week public consultation period, the Environment Report for the Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) of the SPED.

The SEA Regulations (Legal Notice 497 of 2010) which were transposed the SEA European Directive oblige the Authority to carry out an assessment of certain plans or programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment prior to their adoption. The SPED is one of the plans identified as requiring this assessment.

This Environmental Report explains the SEA framework and methodology, elaborates on the environmental baseline, describes the assessment of the environmental impacts of alternative strategies and the chosen option and identifies the monitoring requirements.

MEPA said that to ensure that the public is given the full facility to scrutinise and submit its feedback on both the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) and the Environment Report concurrently, the Authority is extending the public consultation of the SPED by a further 4 weeks.

The proposed SPED document, which in the coming months will replace the 1992 Structure Plan and regulate the sustainable use and management of land and sea resources in an integrated manner up to 2020 was launched for public consultation by the Government in collaboration with MEPA at the end of March.

Both the SPED document and its Environment Report may be viewed on the Authority’s website www.mepa.org.mt.

Hard copies of the SPED and its Environment Report are also available for viewing at the Front Office of MEPA’s offices in Floriana.

Individuals and organisations are being invited to send their submissions pertaining to this draft Plan and the Environment Report in writing to:

MEPA,

Director of Planning,

Strategic Plan for the Environment and Planning (SPED),

P.O. Box 200, Marsa MRS 1000; or through email address: sped@mepa.org.mt (related to the SPED document); sped-sea@mepa.org.mt (related to the Environment Report)

Submissions should reach the Authority by Friday 20th June 2014.

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