Brian Decelis: aħdar ta’ veru

Brian hu persuna mimlija enerġija. Hu dedikat. Jiffoka l-enerġija tiegħu b’mod kreattiv favur dak li jemmen fih.

Għandu viżjoni ħadra. Hu aħdar ta’ veru.

Segwejtu mill-bogħod snin twal ilu waqt l-ewwel kampanja elettorali għall-Kunsilli Lokali fl-1992. Dakinnhar kien ġie elett fil-lokalità tal-Fgura għan-nom ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika.

Għaddew 32 sena, u għalkemm bħali,  b’inqas xagħar, għadu mimli bl-istess ħeġġa u determinazzjoni li fejn hu possibli jmidd għonqu għall-ħidma biex jagħmel id-differenza.

Dan hu l-impenn politiku tagħna, li bil-viżjoni ħadra tagħna nagħmlu differenza fil-ħajja tal-oħrajn, biex ħajjithom tkun aħjar.

Hemm ħafna xi jsir fuq livell ta’ lokalità. F’kull lokalità hemm ħtieġa ta’ Kunsill Lokali magħmul min-nies li kapaċi jkunu proattivi.

Tul dawn l-aħħar snin, kelli l-opportunità li naħdem mill-viċin ma’ Brian. Miegħu kelli l-opportunità li niddiskuti u nfassal il-ħidma tal-partit f’ċirkustanzi differenti.  Fi Brian dejjem sibt persuna li kienet kapaċi tittraduċi l-ftit kliem tiegħi (kultant anke espress b’mod telegrafiku) f’ħidma effettiva.

Fl-elezzjoni ġenerali li għaddiet, jekk Ralph (Segretarju Ġenerali tal-Partit) kien l-id il-leminija tiegħi, Brian, bla ebda dubju kien l-id ix-xellugija tiegħi, biex, flimkien mal-kumplament tat-tim organizzajna l-partit aħjar u bil-ftit riżorsi li kellna irnexxielna kważi nirduppjaw il-voti li ksibna minn elezzjoni ġenerali għall-oħra.

L-isfidi fil-lokalità mhumiex wisq differenti. L-issues li irridu niffaċċjaw huma kemm dawk ambjentali kif ukoll dawk ta’ governanza tajba. 

Brian għandu għarfien tajjeb ta’ dak li hemm lest għalih, meta, xahar ieħor nawguralu li jkun elett. Hu kapaċi jkun leħen taż-żgħir, tal-vulnerabbli, tar-resident abbandunat mill-awtoritajiet.

Ix-xahar id-dieħel, bi Brian elett bħala kunsillier, Marsaskala jkollha biex jirrappreżentha persuna determinata li tiddefendi liż-żgħir.  Meta nassiguraw li jkun imħares l-iċken wieħed fostna, għandna l-garanzija li nkunu qed inħarsu lil kulħadd. Brian hu l-bniedem li xahar ieħor jagħmel id-differenza.

Awguri Brian.

(diskors f’Marsaskala, Il-Ħadd 12 ta’ Mejju 2024)

The President of the Republic: a flicker of hope

The term of office of current President of the Republic George Vella will expire in the first days of April. His successor, the new President, will, for the first time require the consent of a two-thirds majority of the House of Representatives in order to be elected. This, in practice, means that both Government and Opposition must be in agreement for such an appointment to be approved.

Talks between government and opposition are known to have commenced. They are confidential in nature and as such little is known as to how they have proceeded to date. All that is known is that the Opposition Parliamentary group has drawn a significant red line: it will not support any candidate for the Presidency of the Republic if such candidate was a member of the Cabinet of Ministers led by Joseph Muscat and censored by the public inquiry into the circumstances leading to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The red line drawn by the Opposition is significant. It is not known how government ranks have reacted to it, as, so far, no public statement has been made on the manner in which the talks between the Labour led government and the PN Opposition are progressing. 

The veil of confidentiality is reasonable, but at some point, it must and will inevitably be lifted in order to enable the public debate on the Presidency to proceed.

At the time of writing Prime Minister Robert Abela is being quoted as emphasizing that he is “hopeful” that an agreement will be arrived at, even at this late hour. It is being stated that ongoing talks are constructive, this giving rise to a possibly positive outcome by the early April deadline. The first indication of the name of a possible agreed nominee is also available at the time of writing.

The two-thirds hurdle which must be overcome in order to elect a President of the Republic, once every five years, has a specific aim: that of ensuring that the selected person has as wide an acceptance as possible. He or she must be able to bridge the political divide. This must be done on a continuous basis.

There have been a countless number of instances in the past when the political parties in Parliament have succeeded in overcoming partisan squabbling and reached agreement on many a sensitive matter. Including the appointment of a Head of State. Then it was good politics to do so. Now it is also a must!

The art of compromise is good politics which, unfortunately, is not sufficiently mastered by many in the political world. It does not mean giving up any of your views, values or beliefs. It rather signifies that you also see the good in what others do and factor it in what you do or say. It is a point that is often sadly missed in this polarized society which we call home!

I still fail to understand why, for example, the Opposition in Parliament failed to accept former Chief Justice Joseph Azzopardi as Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. I had then stated that the Opposition had the right to block the proposed appointment, but it also had the duty to give reasonable explanations for doing so. It failed to give reasonable explanations, because none, in my view, existed. Playing party politics with our institutions is not on.

The rest is now history, except, that, in my opinion, Joseph Azzopardi has proven himself to be a good choice as Commissioner for Standards in Public Life. Both PN and Labour, unfortunately, acted irrationally in this matter. The PN was intransigent while Labour over-reacted.

It is appropriate that both Government and Opposition learn lessons from their past mistakes. It is in the interest of the country that they do this the soonest possible.

The fact that talks are proceeding constructively, maybe, is an indicator that, possibly, there is still some flickering hope for this country. We can only wait and hold our breath: possibly for not too long!

published on The Malta Independent on Sunday: 24 March 2024

Does the building construction industry care?

We had another serious accident in the building construction industry this week at Gżira. The retained  façade of a number of buildings currently in the process of being redeveloped into a hotel, collapsed into the street: Belvedere Street in Gżira.

These accidents don’t just happen. They are inevitably the result of someone’s error, big or small.

Without waiting for the building construction industry reform, currently in hand, there are already enough rules and institutions in place, which, had they functioned properly, could possibly have avoided this accident altogether.

Fortunately, no one was physically injured: no one however has any merit in this. It is just pure luck that a pedestrian in Belvedere Street Gżira, just avoided being hit by the flying stonework, as was reported in some sections of the media.

The building operations in hand were subject to two development permits: PA 01866/20 and PA 08659/21. The site has an area of 384 square metres.

The media has informed us as to the name of the architect and the developer entrusted with this project. There are however other actors who should be spotlighted. The documentation available on the Planning Authority website indicates the names of a site technical officer, a project supervisor as well as a site manager who were appointed in line with the requirements of legislation currently in force. This is the supervisory team which was ultimately responsible for managing the site at Belvedere Street in Gżira. They had to ensure that the method statement drawn up by the architect responsible for the project was followed.

It would thus be interesting to know how the works carried out on this site at Gżira were actually supervised. The Magisterial inquiry will possibly shed some light on the matter.

Perusal of the demolition method statements in the files of the two development permits indicate the various planned precautions to avoid accidents. The crux of the whole issue is now to establish whether the planned precautions were sufficient and equally important, if they were followed. The actual supervision carried out on site is crucial.

The Magisterial inquiry will undoubtedly examine all this to understand the site dynamics and possibly arrive at a clear conclusion as to what has exactly happened.

Too many accidents are taking place on building construction sites. At times sections of the building construction industry are conveying the message that the industry does not really care. This attitude is grossly unfair as many do in fact care. It is the minority which at times act haphazardly and cause accidents.

The present situation is, in my humble opinion, the inevitable result of having successive governments handling the building construction industry with kids’ gloves.  

The problem is also one of attitude right through the industry and the institutions which regulate and operate it. Does the building industry care?

The deaths of Miriam Pace (Santa Venera: March 2020) and Jean Paul Sofia (Kordin Industrial Estate: December 2022) were momentarily shocking. Unfortunately, however they were quickly forgotten, just as the earlier death of the 27-year-old Latvian construction worker Maksims Artamonovs (Mellieħa: March 2012) was forgotten too. Nothing seems to have changed in the operational attitudes of sections of the building construction industry as a result of these deaths or other cases of serious injury.

Do you remember the dumping on a pavement of a migrant worker injured on a building construction site in Mellieħa in 2021? Apparently, most have forgotten all about this incident too!

Do we care? A majority of spineless specimens of Members of Parliament was even coerced into declaring that there was no need for a public inquiry into the building construction industry, even though Prime Minister Robert Abela reversed this decision unceremoniously shortly afterwards when faced with a massive public protest. This resistance is indicative that deep down the state and its institutions are downright insensitive to the human suffering caused by the building construction industry.

Only time will tell whether there will be anything beyond the usual cosmetic changes. How many more lives must be sacrificed on the altar of building construction greed? At the end of the day, the building industry only cares about its turnover.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : 11 February 2024

Standards in Public Life: Labour’s new benchmark

Robert Abela has embarked on an exercise to exorcise his Labour Party from its recent past. His ultimate aim is (most obviously) the rehabilitation of those who have pigged out.

He has already rehabilitated Joseph Cuschieri, former CEO of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). Cuschieri had resigned from his post in November 2020 on the eve of the publication of a report investigating his behaviour at MFSA, which report was highly critical of his behaviour.

Cuschieri has now been appointed as CEO of Project Green. We were told that Cuschieri is a doer. As if this, in any way, absolves him of his highly errant behaviour in the public authorities with which he was entrusted over the years.

A clear pattern is now emerging, in that others will probably be absolved of the consequences of their actions. A clear message is being transmitted: accountability is now another dead letter.

Should those who resigned or were fired from their political posts or position of trust be rehabilitated? Definitely, not all misdemeanours necessitate a political death penalty. Everybody is entitled to a second chance. However, where do we draw the line?

Consider the case of Rosianne Cutajar. She is currently an independent Member of Parliament, having resigned from the Labour Party Parliamentary Group, in anticipation of her being dismissed. This came about after the publication of hundreds of chats between Rosianne Cutajar and Yorgen Fenech, currently accused with master-minding the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

On the basis of the information in these same chats, the media had reported Rosianne’s Cutajar involvement in facilitating a €3.1 million Mdina property deal and her pocketing slightly under €50,000 for her trouble, curtesy of her friend Yorgen!

The resulting investigation by the Commissioner for Standards in Public life had concluded that Rosianne Cutajar had committed a number of ethical breaches. Cutajar had earlier resigned as Junior Minister, pending the outcome of the investigation.

In addition to all this, at the Council of Europe it was queried whether Rosianne Cutajar’s critical interventions in the Parliamentary Assembly were motivated by undeclared financial interests associated with Yorgen Fenech. This was emphasised by Peter Omtzigt, the Assembly’s Dutch Special Rapporteur into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

If this was not enough, the Auditor General, some weeks ago, concluded an investigation into an employment agreement as a result of which the CEO of the Institute of Tourism Studies had engaged Rosianne Cutajar as his consultant. She was engaged as a management consultant in matters in which she had no known competence. It was therefore not surprising for the Auditor General to conclude that her engagement as a consultant was actually a phantom job.

This was consistent with her aim to pig out, as she confidentially declared to her friend Yorgen in their now public chats.

This behaviour does not merit the consideration of a second chance for Rosianne Cutajar, as Robert Abela is suggesting.

Considering the above behaviour, a political death penalty for Rosianne Cutajar is more than adequate if we are to have the most basic standards in public life.

In contrast, the new benchmark which Robert Abela is suggesting, would transform Parliament’s Code of Ethics into one fit for Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 21 January 2024

Climate change governance and political incompetence

It has been announced that an Authority on Climate Change will be set up by government. This  has apparently been approved by Cabinet, earlier this week. No further details have so far been released.

It is not at all clear whether this authority will be expected to take charge of the action required on a national level in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change, or else, whether it will take the lead in the initiatives required to adapt to climate change.

Currently available on the website of the Ministry responsible for Climate Change one can peruse a draft document dated September 2023 and entitled Draft Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030. As far as I am aware this document is still a draft. A definite version has apparently not been published yet notwithstanding that it should have been in effect 3 years ago! This draft document lays down national objectives relative to energy policy within the context of the climate change debate.

There is no Climate Change Adaptation Strategy available on the Ministry’s website. Some years ago (May 2012) a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy was adopted and published, but apparently this has not been updated. It could, most probably, have been discarded; however, no information is available on the matter. Perusing my copy of the said strategy, I recollect that it was a reasonable first effort and was supplemented by an extensive 164-page report drawn up by the then Climate Change Committee for Adaptation. These documents were drawn up after extensive public consultation.

While energy issues are foremost in any Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, we need to go in considerable detail on other equally important aspects, such as the impacts of climate change on agriculture, water resources, health, civil protection, land use planning, tourism, coastal settlements, protection of the coastal infrastructure as well as biodiversity and the marine environment.

The debate on water resources has been ongoing and various policy initiatives have addressed the matter over the years. I am not sure as to what has been done by the Agriculture Ministry or the Health Ministry, but at the end of the day it is those same Ministries which need to initiate, implement and monitor the required action in their areas of responsibility.

Similarly, the Tourism Ministry seems clueless on climate change impacts on the industry. I have yet to come across a serious assessment of climate change on tourism in the Maltese islands and in particular on the potential havoc which tourism infrastructure will have to face as a result of an inevitable sea level rise.

What about inbuilding climate change considerations in land use planning policy and design guidelines? The 15-minute city initiative in Paris and elsewhere specifically addresses climate change in an urban policy context. Yet the Planning Authority in Malta is not bothered at all.

On the other hand, we need to realise that there have been various valid proposals over the years which have been discarded by government. One specific example which comes to mind is the proposal in the National Transport Master Plan which has pointed out the need to embark on private vehicle restraint.

The fact that to date we have an out-of-date Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and no effective coordination at Ministerial level on climate change impacts across all areas, signifies a failure of the Climate Change Ministry to implement its basic political brief over the years.

This is where the proposed Climate Change Authority comes in. It will most probably be considered essential to fill the coordination gap created by incompetence at the political level over the years.

The Ministry responsible for Climate Change specifically exists to coordinate, across government, issues of climate change through the various Ministries. This coordination has, unfortunately, over the years been inexistent. Hence the proposed solution to setup an authority to fill in the gap.

Climate change governance, over the years, has been characterised by political incompetence. The creation of an authority will just serve to shift the blame.

published in The Malta Independent on Sunday: 14 January 2024

Awtorità dwar il-Klima

Mela issa qalulna li ser iwaqqfu Awtorità dwar il-Klima. Fil-fatt il-Kabinett approva li din titwaqqaf.

Forsi tajjeb li nemfasizza li l-awtoritajiet ma jsolvux problemi.  

Jekk inħarsu lejn id-diversi awtoritajiet oħra li għandna fil-pajjiz hu ċar x’jagħmlu l-awtoritajiet f’Malta. Ġeneralment iservu ta’ paraventi għall-Gvern. (Mhux biss dak li għandna illum: iżda ta’ qablu ukoll!)

Għax x’jiswa’ li taħtar Awtorità, u timlija b’nies tal-partit jew viċin ħafna tiegħu, li biex jiċċaqalqu jistennew ftit lill-Ministru jitħarrek.

Flok ma nwaqqfu l-awtoritajiet aħjar li tinbidel l-attitudi u nibdew nerfgħu r-responsabbiltajiet ambjentali tagħna bis-serjetà.

A ticking time bomb

The proposal to set up an authority to deal with climate change regulation, mitigation and adaptation, announced by Prime Minister Robert Abela during an MCESD meeting last week, though well-intentioned, is uncalled for. It essentially means more fragmentation in matters related to environmental governance.

We have been there before during the debate on land use planning and the environment with the resulting merger and subsequent demerger.

The actual results achieved as a consequence of the planned fragmentation have increased the existing environmental mess exponentially.

Environmental governance requires consolidation and not fragmentation in order to be effective.

The effective coordination of policy formulation, regulation and implementation in all environmental issues can be achieved. However, for this to happen we ought to realise that the smallness of our country is an asset which is currently ignored but which we can put to good use.

Rather than have a separate authority dealing with climate change it would be more appropriate to beef up the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and ensure that it is run appropriately.

Climate change is a ticking time bomb that is confirmed as being progressively worse with every scientific report that is published. The current heat-wave and the flooding that we have witnessed in the past winter are clear indications of what lies in store for all of us in the immediate future.

We are no exceptions. Nature does not discriminate; it treats us all equally. It just rolls over all of us as it did elsewhere with floods, fires and other extremes of weather.

In these circumstances the realistic way forward is not to set up more authorities but, rather, to seek the way in which we can maximise our existing efforts through proper coordination and, where possible, the consolidation of existing official bodies and authorities. This could lead to the optimisation of results and better value reflecting the resources put to use. We cannot, as a nation, afford to do otherwise.

It must be a carefully studied political decision but not a partisan one. Ideally, the government should try and rope in the best local minds to carefully plot the way forward. It should search beyond the political divide. This is possible if there is the political will.

There is so much we can do. It can, however, be painful, as it would require unavoidable changes to our lifestyle. We must continuously remember that there is no gain without pain. With appropriate and timely action, the pain can, however, be minimised.

The longer we take to get our house in order, the greater the pain inflicted on all: it will be self-inflicted pain as we can avoid or reduce part of it if we act in good time. Even though time is running out, it is still possible to take meaningful action. All of us will be impacted, but the vulnerable will be impacted most of all.

The action required encompasses practically all that we do. It impacts land use and urban planning, agriculture, tourism, transport, energy consumption and generation, air quality, water management, nature protection and restoration – practically everything around us. Consequently, it will also have a considerable impact on our economic activity.

The month of July that just ended has been the hottest on record. We are still reeling from its impacts on the energy distribution network. There are other impacts that we will have to address, shortly. We have to (and can) anticipate all this through foresight and appropriate planning.

All the required information to help us plan a better future that factors in climate change is already available. This information has been available for a considerable number of years but it has been conveniently ignored as the political establishment has always sought to paint a future landscape which is out of tune with reality.

This is the real challenge we face: to plan our future realistically. The longer we take to get our feet on the ground the more difficult it will be to achieve the required results. We owe it to future generations to ensure that when we pass on the baton, these islands are still liveable. So far, this is most clearly not achievable.

published in Times of Malta: 3 August 2023

Mistoqsijiet li jeħtieġu tweġiba

Fid-dawl tar-rifjut kategoriku tal-Gvern li jagħmel użu minn dak li jipprovdi l-Att dwar l-Inkjesti biex permezz ta’ inkjesta pubblika jkunu eżaminati ċ-ċirkustanzi li wasslu għall-mewt ta’ Jean-Paul Sofia nhar it-3 ta’ Diċembru 2022 hemm mistoqsijiet li jeħtieġu tweġiba ċara. Mistoqsijiet li jistgħu jinġabru fi tnejn: lil min qed tipproteġu? u x’qed jinżamm mistur?

Meta tkun konkluża, l-inkjesta maġisterjali ser tidentifika r-responsabbiltajiet kriminali li kkontribwew u wasslu għal dan l-inċident fatali. Possibilment l-inkjesta teżamina l-ħidma tal-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar, tal-Awtorità dwar il-Bini u l-Kostruzzjoni u tal-Awtorità tal-Artijiet fejn din il-ħidma għandha relevanza għall-inċident taħt konsiderazzjoni.

Li hu meħtieġ, iżda, hu eżami fil-fond ta’ ħidmet dawn it-tlett awtoritajiet biex ikun stabilit jekk, tul is-snin, bl-iskuża ta’ attakk fuq il-burokrazija żejda ġie imdgħajjef jew imwarrab il-qafas regolatorja essenzjali. Dan wassal għal falliment tas-sistema regolatorja.

Qed nirreferi għall-prattika li applikazzjonijiet tal-ippjanar tal-iżvilupp ġewwa iż-żona industrijali jiġu indirizzati bi proċedura simplifikata li nirreferu għaliha bħala DNO (Development Notification Order). Riżultat ta’ hekk, dan it-tip ta’ żvilupp ftit jagħti fil-għajn. Anke ir-regolatur stess jagħti importanza inqas lil dan it-tip ta’ żvilupp. Dan iwassal għal nuqqas ta’ attenzjoni fil-pront lill-irregolaritajiet li jista’ jkun hemm!  Fil-fehma tiegħi dan jista’ jkun wieħed mill-fatturi li ikkontribwew għal dan l-inċident fatali. Għandi dubju kemm il-maġistrat inkwirenti ser tagħti piz lil konsiderazzjoni ta’ din ix-xorta. Imma f’inkjesta pubblika, inevitabilment dan il-fattur ikun eżaminat.

L-iżvilupp taħt konsiderazzjoni kien soġġett għal żewġ applikazzjonijiet DNO, it-tnejn li huma approvati: DN360/20 u DN275/22.

Għad mhux ċar kif l-art pubblika fiz-zona industrijali, fejn seħħet id-disgrazzja, spiċċat għaddiet għand l-iżviluppatur.  Hemm bosta allegazzjonijiet jiċċirkulaw dwar il-possibli irregolaritajiet li wasslu għal dan. Jista’ jkun li l-maġistrat inkwerenti teżamina dan kollu, imma s’issa, wara 7 xhur ħadd għad ma jaf xejn fiċ-ċert dwar dan.

Ġie rappurtat mill-medja li l-perit inkarigat mix-xogħol hi perit impjegata ma’ Infrastructure Malta. Fl-istess ħin li terfa’ r-responsabbiltajiet ta’ impieg professjonali fis-settur pubbliku, il-perit għandha prattika privata tagħha.  Hi l-politika kurrenti tal-Gvern li professjonisti fis-settur pubbliku huma permessi li jkollhom l-prattika privata tagħhom.

Hu mistenni li din il-prattika privat ma tkunx żviluppata b’mod li din tkun f’kunflitt mad-doveri fis-settur pubbliku. Ikun raġjonevoli li nassumu li l-uffiċjal pubbliku (il-perit) matul il-ħin normali tax-xogħol ikun mistenni li jissorvelja l-proġetti pubbliċi ta’ Infrastructure Malta. Dan dejjem sakemm il-ġurnata tax-xogħol tal-perit mhiex xi wahda sostanzjalment differenti minn tagħna lkoll!  

L-istampa irrappurtat li l-perit li qed nitkellmu dwarha għandha prattika privata estensiva li żviluppata tul is-snin, anke waqt li hi impjegata full-time ma’ Infrastructure Malta. L-inkompatibilità bejn dawn iż-żewġ rwoli hi tant ovvja li ma teħtieġ l-ebda kumment da parti tiegħi. Dan mhux biss materja ta’ kundizzjoni tal-impieg. Hu fuq kollox materja ta’ etika professjonali.

Bla dubju, inkjesta pubblika teżamina din il-materja u tikkunsidra jekk professjonisti fis-settur pubbliku għandhomx ikollhom il-prattika privata tagħhom ristretta f’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi. Għandi dubju kemm il-maġistrat inkwirenti tidħol fil-materja, għax primarjament din hi waħda ta’ etika professjonali u probabbilment tmur lil hinn minn dak li hu mistenni mill-maġistrat. Minkejja kollox imma hi materja li għandha impatt sostanzjali mhux biss fuq dan il-kaz, imma fuq bosta oħra ukoll.

Tkellimt dwar tlett punti bażiċi li naħseb li kellhom effett konsiderevoli fuq l-inċident li wassal għall-mewt ta’ Jean-Paul Sofia f’Diċembru li għadda. Bla dubju għad jista’ jkollhom effett fuq iktar każijiet. Inkjesta pubblika urġenti tista’ tindirizza dan kollu, bit-tama li ddaħħal ftit sens f’moħħ ir-regolaturi.

ippubblikat fuq Illum: 16 ta’ Lulju 2023

L-importanza tan-natura f’ħajjitna

Iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa, l-Kunsill tal-Ministri tal-Ambjent tal-Unjoni Ewropeja, approva posizzjoni komuni dwar regolamenti tal-Unjoni biex tkun irrestawrata n-natura. Seba’ pajjiżi membri, għal raġunijiet differenti, ma qablux ma’ dan. Il-Polonja, l-Olanda, l-Italja, l-Finlandja u l-iSvezja ivvutaw kontra fil-waqt li l-Belġju u l-Awstrija astjenew. Malta appoġġat dan il-pass: inizjattiva legali bażika biex ikun implimentat il-Ftehim l-Aħdar (Green Deal) li jonora l-obbligi li dħalna għalihom fis-Summit Klimatiku ta’ Pariġi tal-2015.  

Għad ma napprezzaw biżżejjed l-importanza tan-natura fil-ħajja tagħna.  Sfortunatament, generalment ma nagħtux kaz. L-importanza tan-natura f’ħajjtna ma tfissirx biss li nipprovdu spazji miftuħin u ħodor bħala spazju rikrejattiv fiz-zoni urbani u madwarhom. Fl-aħħar, in-natura hi dik li tagħmel il-ħajja possibli. Mingħajr in-natura u s-servizzi li din toffri, il-ħajja mhiex possibli.  

Bħala eżempju, ħafna drabi jkun emfasizzat illi li kieku kellha tisparixxi n-naħla, il-bniedem ma jgħix iktar minn erba’ snin minn dak il-waqt. Bla naħla ifisser li ma jkunx hemm id-dakra, li tfisser li m’hemmx pjanti. L-ikel ftit ftit jispiċċa. Il-ħajja kollha tiġi fit-tmiem.

Il-ħolqien ta’ spazji miftuħin u ħodor, inkella iż-żamma ta’ dawk li għandna diġa f’kundizzjoni tajba, mhiex politika ħażina. Din il-politika, imma, bl-ebda mod ma tista’ tkun sostitut għall-ħtieġa li nħarsu l-bijodiversità fil-kuntest naturali tagħha. L-anqas ma tista’ tkun sostitut għal politika li tħares l-art agrikola mill-iżvilupp, irrispettivament mill-kwalità ta’ din ir-raba’ li uħud, li jħarsu sal-pont ta’ mneħirhom iqiesu bħala żviluppabbli.

Li żewġ miljun metru kwadru ta’ art li kienet parti mill-ODZ ngħataw għall-iżvilupp kienet u għadha dagħwa kbira. L-eżerċizzju ta’ razzjonalizzazzjoni li fl-2006 għamel dan possibli għandu jitħassar minnufih jekk il-kliem sabiħ kollu li jgħidu dwar l-ambjent għandu jkollu xi tifsira tajba.

Għalfejn noħolqu riżervi jew żoni protetti fl-art jew fil-baħar?  It-tikketta ta’ status protett irid ikun segwit minn azzjoni serja li teħtieġ li tassigura li z-zoni protetti mhux biss nieħdu ħsiebhom imma fuq kollox li nibdew il-proċess ta’ restawr tagħhom biex nagħmlu tajjeb għall-ħsara akkumulata li dawn sofrew tul is-snin.

Dan hu l-iskop tad-dibattitu kurrenti fl-Unjoni Ewropeja dwar il-ħtieġa ta’ restawr tan-natura.

Id-dokumentazzjoni li tipprovdi l-Kummissjoni Ewropeja biex tfisser u tissustanzja l-proposta tagħha u l-urgenza tal-azzjoni meħtieġa biex in-natura tkun riabilitata fl-Unjoni kollha temfasizza li 81 fil-mija taz-zoni protetti huma fi stat ħażin ħafna.

L-analiżi tal-impatti tal-proposta, mifruxa fi tnax-il parti u ippubblikata mill-Kummissjoni Ewropeja tispjega li investiment fir-restawr tan-natura huwa pass effettiv. Kull euro minfuq joħloq bejn €8 u €38 f’valur ekonomiku miżjud u dan riżultat tat-tisħiħ tas-servizzi ekoloġiċi li jagħtu appoġġ lis-sigurtà fil-produzzjoni tal-ikel, fil-ħarsien tal-klima, tal-ekosistema innifisha u tas-saħħa umana.

U issa? Malta illum tifforma parti minn maġġoranza żgħira fil-Kunsill tal-Ministri tal-Ambjent li appoġġat lill-Kummissjoni Ewropeja fl-isforzi tagħha biex toħloq dan il-qafas regolatorju ħalli tkun irrestawrata n-natura.  Cyrus Engerer, l-uniku Membru Parlamentari Ewropew Malti fil-kumitat ambjentali tal-Parlament Ewropew ukoll appoġġa l-proposta tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja meta din ġiet għall-vot. B’hekk ta’ kontribut biex tingħeleb l-isfida tal-Partit Popolari Ewropew (PPE) li ried jimmina din l-inizjattiva.

Il-passi li jmiss huma kruċjali. Jeħtieġ li nimxu l-quddiem u mill-paroli favur l-ambjent ngħaddu għall-ħarsien effettiv li jrażżan id-deficit ambjentali li qiegħed dejjem jiżdied. Hu biss f’dak il-waqt li nkunu nistgħu b’mod rejalistiku ngħaddu għar-rijabilitazzjoni u r-restawr tal-ambjenti naturali protetti u tal-eko-sistema in ġenerali.

Jeħtieġ li napprezzaw iktar in-natura. Qabel ma jkun tard wisq.

ippubblikat fuq Illum: 25 ta’ Ġunju 2023

Id-dibattitu dwar l-abort: kien jonqos ftit kuraġġ

Il-Gvern illum ħabbar tibdil fl-emendi li ser iressaq għall-kodiċi kriminali dwar l-abort.

Jipprovda jevita l-użu tal-kelma abort u jagħmel użu mill-frażi “terminazzjoni tat-tqala”.

L-emendi fil-prattika jikkonfermaw l-posizzjoni attwali li s’issa mhiex miktuba. Ineħħu dubji li seta kien hemm dwar l-obbligu tat-tobba li jintervjenu u jitterminaw tqala jekk ikun hemm il-periklu gravi għall-ħajja tal-omm.

Hu tajjeb li l-Gvern wasal (fl-aħħar) għal dan il-kompromess għax f’pajjiż demokratiku ma tistax tinjora l-opinjoni pubblika, anke jekk hi waħda konservattiva, reżistenti għat-tibdil propost.

Bħala riżultat ta’ dan kollu, imma, għall-ewwel darba l-liġi Maltija ser titkellem dwar ċirkustanzi eċċezzjonali li fihom ser ikun possibli li tqala tkun terminat: jiġifieri għall-ewwel darba l-liġi ser tirrikonoxxi meta abort jista’ jsir f’Malta.

Il-Gvern seta kien iktar kuraġġuż u ikkonsidra d-dikriminalizzazzjoni tal-abort. Mara li tiġi f’ċirkustanzi li tagħmel abort empatija għandha bżonn mhux li tkun ikkunsidrata bħala persuna kriminali. Imma dan il-kuraġġ naqsu lill-Gvern.

L-abort ser ikun possibli fejn il-ħajja tal-omm tkun fil-periklu. Setgħu ġew ikkunsidrati ċirkustanzi oħra bħall-inċest, stupru u meta t-tqala ma tkunx waħda vijabbli. Din hi l-pożizzjoni politika tagħna bħala Partit kif fissirna diġà kemm permezz ta’ riżoluzzjoni approvata mill-Eżekuttiv tal-partit xi snin ilu kif ukoll fil-Manifest Elettorali ta’ l-aħħar elezzjoni.

F’dan kollu hemm tagħlima waħda. Ir-riformi jieħdu ż-żmien. Imma jsiru, anke jekk bil-mod. Għax pajjiżna mhux differenti minn pajjiżi oħra. Kull mara għandha d-dritt li tagħmel l-għażliet tagħha, u terfa’ r-responsabbiltà għalihom.