Labour MEP Prof Edward Scicluna today demanded that the government does not seek a derogation to extend the deadline for getting Maltese groundwater to a sustainable and “good status” beyond the 2015 deadline specified in the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), adding that “this would be a delaying tactic which this country can ill afford”.
Pointing to Environment Commissioner Potocnik’s statement, in response to a parliamentary question tabled by Prof Scicluna, that a key environmental objective of the WFD was to ensure that “the annual average rate of (water) abstraction should not exceed the available groundwater resource by that date”, Prof Scicluna stated:
“Already, independent experts such as hydrologist Marco Cremona and geologist Gordon Knox have estimated that, at the current rate of extraction, Malta’s groundwater will be useless within 15 years. The bottom line is that groundwater – our own water resource – is being extracted as a greater rate than it is being replenished.”
In June, the Commission launched infringement proceedings against the Maltese government following its failure to produce a management plan to protect Malta’s water supply.
Commenting Prof Scicluna said:
“It is pathetic that the government’s apologists are now trying to blame the EU for requesting the registration and metering of boreholes. On the contrary, we should be thankful for the EU’s WFD which is designed to protect the right to a good quality water supply for all Maltese citizens by 2015.
“The government plans that by 2015 the monitoring and reporting phase would come to an end and the plan of action will come into effect to ensure good water quality by 2027. But this government has to wake up and realise that by that date we would not have any potable ground water to manage. It would have run out.”
To see Prof Scicluna’s parliamentary question and the Commission reply please click here.
Stqarrija għall-istampa mill-uffiċċju tal-Prof Edward Scicluna
10 ta’ Settembru, 2010
Il-Gvern m’għandux jitlob deroga dwar l-ilma tal-pjan
– Prof Edward Scicluna MEP
L-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Malti l-Professur Edward Scicluna appella lill-Gvern biex ma jitlobx lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea li jingħata deroga biex ikun estiż ż-żmien stipulat fil-Water Framework Directive tal-UE (WFD) li matulu jittieħdu miżuri biex ikun assigurat li l-ilma tal-pjan jinżamm fi stat sostenibbli u tajjeb. Id-WFD tispeċifika li dan għandu jsir sas-sena 2015. Il-Gvern qed iħejji biex jitlob li dan it-terminu jkun estiż bi 12-il sena sas-sena 2027.
“Talba għal deroga biex ikun hemm estensjoni ta’ dan it-terminu hija biss tattika biex jittawwal il-proċess, xi ħaga li Malta ma tiflaħx għaliha,” qal il-Professur Scicluna.
Fi tweġiba għal Mistoqsija Parlamentari tal-Prof Scicluna, il-Kummissarju għall-Ambjent tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea, Janez Potocnik, qal li l-oġġettiv ewlieni tad-WFD huwa li jkun assigurat li r-rata medja annwali tal-estrazzjoni tal-ilma tal-pjan m’għandhiex taqbeż ir-riżorsi disponibbli tal-ilma ta’ taħt l-art.
Dwar dan Prof Scicluna qal li esperti indipendenti, il-hydroloġista Marco Cremona u l-geologista Gordon Knox jistmaw li bir-rata preżenti ta’ estrazzjoni ta’ ilma minn taħt l-art dan jispiċċa fi żmien 15-il sena. Fi ftit kliem dan ifisser li dan l-uniku riżors ta’ ilma naturali li għandna qed ikun estratt b’rata ħafna akbar mir-rata tar-riforniment tiegħu.”
Sadattant f’Ġunju li għadda l-Kummissjoni Ewropea bdiet proċeduri ta’ ksur ta’ liġi kontra Malta wara li l-Gvern naqas milli jipprovdi l-pjan tiegħu dwar kif se jkun protett l-ilma ta’ taħt l-art.
Prof Scicluna qal li huwa patetiku li issa l-apoloġisti tal-Gvern qegħdin jippruvaw iwaddbu l-ħtija fuq l-Unjoni Ewropea għat-talba biex ikunu reġistrati u jsiru l-meters mal-borteholes.
“Bil-kuntrarju, għandna nirringrazzjaw lill-Unjoni Ewropea għad-WFD li hija maħsuba biex tipproteġi d-dritt ta’ kull ċittadin tagħha li jkollu provvista ta’ ilma tajjeb. Il-Gvern qed jippjana li sas-sena 2015 jkollu biss lesta l-fażi tal-moniteraġġ u li l-pjan ta’ azzjoni biex ikun assigurat li jkollna ilma tajjeb jidħol fis-seħħ fis-sena 2027. Il-Gvern għandu jqum mir-raqda li jinsab fiha u jirrealizza li sas-sena 2027 ma jkollniex ilma tajjeb x’nimmaniġġjaw. Sa dakinhar l-ilma inkwistjoni jkun spiċċa,” qal Prof Scicluna.
Biex tara l-mistoqsija parlamentari tal-Professur Edward Scicluna u r-risposta tal-Kummmissjoni agħfas hawn.