Malta - Environment

Short-term priorities:

• adopt a strategy and a detailed, Directive-specific programme for the transposition, implementation and enforcement of the EU environmental acquis, in particular through the development of framework and sectoral legislation, together with preparation of the necessary implementing regulations;
• plan for financing investments (Directive specific) based on yearly estimates of the cost of alignment and sources of State or private financing;
• transposition and enforcement of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

Assessment (November 2001)

The law on environmental protection has been adopted. This is framework legislation. The Directive on environmental impact assessment has been adopted, unlike the strategies for transposition and implementation of the acquis, which are still lacking. The same applies in respect of the plan for financing investments.

Assessment (October 2002)

Malta has made substantial progress with transposing the acquis, particularly regarding the horizontal legislation, waste management, industrial pollution control and nature protection. However, further efforts are still needed in the latter sector, particularly as regards birds. Plans have been drawn up for implementing the acquis, and implementation has already started in relation to the waste framework directives, packaging and packaging waste, landfill of waste, urban waste water treatment, the phasing out of leaded petrol and industrial risk management. Considerable efforts are nonetheless needed, especially in the waste sector.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Medium-term priorities:

• continued transposition and implementation of the acquis, with particular emphasis on the framework, horizontal and environmental protection legislation on water quality and waste management;
• increase in institutional, administrative and monitoring capacities;
• integration of sustainable development principles into the definition and implementation of all other sectoral policies.

Assessment (November 2001)

Limited progress has been made in respect of framework legislation, horizontal legislation, waste management, nature protection and water protection. There has been no progress with regard to administrative capacity. Little progress has been made with integrating sustainable development into sectoral policies.

Assessment (October 2002)

Administrative, monitoring and enforcement capacity has been stepped up with the establishment of the competent authority for environmental protection. Continued attention is needed regarding the integration of environmental requirements into the formulation and implementation of other sectoral policies.

Assessment (November 2003)

Please refer to the fact sheets on the adoption of the Community acquis.

Following the signing of the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia acceded to the European Union on 1 May 2004.

REFERENCES

Decision 2000/249/EC, 20.03.2000Official Journal L 78, 29.03.2000

Commission Report COM(2001) 700 final - SEC(2001) 1751Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2002) 700 final - SEC(2002) 1407Not published in the Official Journal

Commission Report COM(2003) 675 final - SEC(2003) 1206Not published in the Official Journal

Treaty of Accession to the European Union [Official Journal L 236, 23.09.2003]

Last updated: 19.11.2004