Energy and Environment Committee During the year under review, the Energy and Environment Committee (EEC) has held several internal meetings of the Executive Committee and External meetings with Government departments and authorities and other stakeholders in the energy and environmental sectors. Perit David Xuereb maintained his position as the Chairman while Godwin C. Micallef was the Vice-Chairman who would lead the Committee in the Chairman’s absence.
Proposal on Waste Facilities and Financial Assistance to the Waste Management Sector
a discussion with the Ministry Officials, the Committee’s observations were taken as part of the consultation feedback.
During the month of March, a number of Committee members were involved in meetings with Malta Enterprise to explore ways to assist the ever growing waste management sector and provide locations for the investment in waste facilities. The Malta Chamber together with other stakeholders which included MEPA and Wasteserv drafted a document for the consideration of the Malta Enterprise board. The document included issues related to the lack of facilities in relation to WEEE dismantling but also included the point that in relation to a number of waste streams, such as waste oil and hazardous waste the economies of scale are not available to build specific recycling facilities. The Malta Chamber retorted that the private sector needs a level playing field to grow and cannot compete with Government entity that is subsidised by EU and public funds. An exit strategy from a number of areas current managed by Wasteserv was required. A particular site was also proposed to include a Waste Management Park for the expansion of the sector.
Malta Chamber meets Commissioner for Climate Action Another important meeting in relation to the EEC Committee was that held on the 4th of May were several entities, including the Malta Chamber, were invited to participate in a meeting with the European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard. Outgoing Malta Chamber Director General, Ing Ray Muscat, Policy Development Manager Andre Fenech and Executive Marylyn Hili represented the Malta Chamber during this debate on climate change, where several pressing issues in relation to Malta’s position were addressed. Amongst other matters, the Malta Chamber said that whilst it welcomes innovative projects focusing on renewable energy, it emphasised that one needs to keep in mind Malta’s limitations with regards to its territorial capacity. The Commissioner addressed some of the concerns brought forward and underlined the importance of Europe to work towards improving energy efficiency in an effort to regain its competitiveness.
Meeting with Government Officials On 16th April the Malta Chamber’s Energy and Environment Committee led by the Chairman Perit David Xuereb, held a meeting with MEPA officials to discuss the consultation document on the Strategic Plan for Environmental and Development (SPED). It was explained that the document includes the key issues for the sustainable management of land and sea resources together with their spatial implications. It also includes a spatial vision for the Maltese Islands and outlines the Government’s objectives aimed to address the identified issues in line with the spatial vision. Official, Michelle Borg, from the Ministry for Tourism, Culture and the Environment delivered a presentation to the Committee on the Government’s strategic objectives. In essence, these objectives aim to promote sustainable human settlement development with the overall objective to improve the social, economic and environmental quality of human settlements. Borg explained that an integrated approach needs to be achieved which should facilitate appropriate choices to maximise sustainable productivity and use. These objectives will also work with the current Government policies and a more coordinated approach in terms of linking policies together will be given priority. Following the presentation, the Committee put forward their concerns and recommendations. Following
The Malta Chamber writes a Letter to MEPA regarding the Waste Management (Packaging and Packaging Waste) (Amendment) Regulations The Malta Chamber wrote to MEPA about the proposed amendments to Waste Management (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations. In this letter, the Malta Chamber expressed its concerns on the way the consultation was carried out and the very tight deadline given to reply to this document. The Malta Chamber showed its concern on the proposed amendments which were going to impact negatively certain companies which are currently self-complying to the requirements of the law. In essence, the Malta Chamber insisted that companies should not be precluded to self-comply on one particular waste stream, which falls under the terminology of packaged goods. The Malta Chamber added that this situation was discriminatory and insisted that companies should be given the choice to self-comply or join a waste management scheme according to their cost-considerations. Negating such choice is tantamount to direct interference by the authority in the free market. For this reason, the Malta Chamber had requested an urgent meeting with the Environment Directorate at MEPA to discuss
THE MALTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ENTERPRISE AND INDUSTRY 2012 ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
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