Scicluna urges Commission to take action on water supply dangers
Labour MEP Edward Scicluna today called on the European Commission to ensure that the Maltese government complies with the Water Framework Directive to avoid imminent water shortage.
In a parliamentary question, Prof Scicluna warned the Commission that current practices have led to Malta facing an imminent crisis of its groundwater supply.
Prof Scicluna said:
“According to scientific evidence Malta has the highest groundwater extraction density in the world. As a result we face the grave possibility that by 2025 we will run out of ground water fit for human consumption.”
The EU’s Water Framework Directive states that Member States must promote sustainable and environmentally friendly water consumption practices.
In 2000, the EU set a deadline of December 2009 for Member States to file their national water management policies on the implementation of the Directive. However, the Maltese government failed to meet the deadline.
Prof Scicluna said:
“I want to know what guarantees the Commission can give Maltese citizens that they will not lose their only source of natural groundwater because of their government’s failure to keep to EU law.”
Interpellanza tal-MEP Edward Scicluna
Appell lill-KE ghal azzjoni dwar l-ilma
L-Ewroparlamenatri Laburista Malti l-Professur Edward Scicluna appella lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea biex tassigura li l-Gvern Malti jimxi mad-direttiva tal-Unjoni Ewropea imsejha “Water Framework Directive” bil-ghan li jkun evitat li Malta tiffaccja problema ta’ nuqqas ta’ ilma, partikolarment fil-hazna naturali ta’ taht l-art.
Il-Prof Scicluna ghamel dan l-appell permezz ta’ Mistoqsija Parlamentari lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea.
“Studji xjentifici juru li jekk mhux se tkun konfrontata l-problema, sas-sena 2025 se nkunu qed niffaccjaw l-possibilta gravi li ma jkollniex ilma bizzejjed ghall-konsum uman,” qal il-Professur Scicluna.
Id-Direttiva tal-Unjoni Ewropea msejha “Water Framework Directive” tghid li l-Pajjizi Membri ghandhom jressqu ‘l quddiem prattici ta’ konsum ta’ ilma li huma sostenibbli u kompatibbli mal-ambjent.
Fis-sena 2000, l-Unjoni Ewropea kienet tat lill-Pajjizi Membri zmien sa Dicembru tas-sena 2009 biex idahhlu politika nazzjonali dwar l-immaniggjar tal-ilma fil-qafas tal-implimentazzjoni tad-Direttiva imsemmija. Madankollu l-Gvern Malti naqas li jaghmel dan.
“Irrid inkun naf x’garanziji tista’ taghti l-Kummissjoni lic-cittadini Maltin li ma jitilfux l-uniku sors ta’ ilma naturali minhabba n-nuqqas tal-Gvern li jimxi mal-ligi tal-Unjoni Ewropea,” temm jghid il-Prof Scicluna.