Church commission broadly supports Mepa reform, but disagrees on some key issues

The Church's Environment Commission has generally welcomed the Mepa reform proposals while also voicing disagreement with some key points.

In particular, the commission stressed in a long statement that Planning and Environmental Protection should be separated and the development of planning policies should not be transferred from Mepa to the government.


The commission said it welcomed the fact that the reform was based on consistency, efficiency, accountability and enforcement.

It said the merger of planning and environmental responsibilities within MEPA in 2001 had not worked.

"Good intentions will only be translated into a functional reality, if and when there is a genuine commitment to do so. Why should a legal merger of the two relevant Acts (the Development Planning Act and the Environmental Protection Act) be more successful?" the commission asked.

Follow this link to read the full article on The Times of Malta.

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