The NGOs Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Friends of the Earth, Ramblers … are increasingly concerned that
uncontrolled development is seriously impacting the quality of life, economy and environment in Malta.
The Malta Environment Protection Authority was set up to regulate development, however through
appointments of its top positions according to politics rather than merit, MEPA has been reduced to
nothing but a screen to mask politicians’ efforts to promote the interests of their developer backers.
The present MEPA CEO, Johann Buttigieg, should never have been appointed to the post due to his
dubious track record. In 2012 the MEPA Auditor had censored Johann Buttigieg severely and called for
legal action to be taken against him, stating that the information in Buttigieg’s report on the application
for a wedding hall below Rabat: “is false and misleading… the case officer’s report constituted flagrant
abuse with the intention of misleading the DCC and approving the permit”.
Through the report on the proposed development of an American University, for which he assumed
responsibility, Johann Buttigieg has now compromised himself and MEPA. He has betrayed MEPA’s
Mission Statement “to ensure that land use and the protection of the environment meet the needs of
today’s society and future communities.” He has also violated Malta’s Constitution Article 9: “The State
shall safeguard the landscape and the historical and artistic patrimony of the Nation”
On his own admission Johann Buttigieg has participated in negotiations between Government and a
developer and carried out a preliminary site selection study on the location of a private enterprise. This
report was prepared in confidence at the request of OPM, without any consultation with any of MEPA’s
directorates and experts. Mr Buttigieg also gave misleading and incorrect information to the
Parliamentary Committee for Environmental matters, which constitutes contempt of Parliament. All in
all he has fatally undermined MEPA’s already-poor integrity as an independent and impartial
regulator.
These acts, as well as the SPED and other new policies which will allow further destruction of Malta’s
environment, change MEPA’s remit as regulator to one of a facilitator of development and shows that
Johann Buttigieg is unsuited to lead MEPA or indeed to hold any senior post in any part of the up-
coming (post-MEPA) Environment- Planning set ups. The fact that he was following the Prime Minister’s
orders is no excuse. Indeed, Johann Buttigieg’s shortcomings reflect badly on those who appointed him;
should he refuse to resign, the onus of his unethical handling of the Zonqor case falls directly on the
Prime Minister.
Until client-politics are eliminated from MEPA and its future successor bodies, there can be no holistic
planning, no environmental justice, and no long-term economic benefit.
