Thursday, 9 October 2008

Good news from the EU Petitions Committee


I was one of the petitioners to the EU petitions commitee regarding the Ramla l-Hamra villas and pools development. The other petitioners are Michael Bajada, another AD member on the Gozo Regional Committee of Alternattiva Demokratika and the other one was by a good friend of ours who resides in Malta. On Tuesday the Petitions' Committee of the European Parliament met to examine our three different petitions against the building proposal of villas and pools at Ramla l-Hamra in Gozo

The Green Party Chairperson Arnold Cassola in a statement issued today said that Alternattiva Demokratika is delighted at the fact that the Ramla l-Hamra project has been shelved by the Maltese government.


At the hearing, the EU Commission announced that the Maltese government had stated that the project has been abandoned and MEP Simon Busuttil who sits on the Petitions Committee confirmed this. We are elated at this success in stopping such an unsustainable project from materializing.

It seems too good to be true, but bat least we can confirm this news from Brussles. What is actually happening here in Malta is another story of course.

Mepa should truly safeguard the environment around Ramla l-Hamra by including the whole
area in the EU-funded and protected programme of Natura 2000. Heritage trusts and NGOs should be supported in obtaining EU funds to transform the whole Ramla area into an international heritage site and protecting its archaeological remains. We now expect that Ramla bay be promoted to Blue Flag bay status.

In the light of the government's electoral promise to transform Gozo into an eco-island, the state should claim back the land from the Ulysses Lodge proprietors in order to remove the abandoned building, restore the partially concreted-over Roman pathway and restore the whole area. Gozo needs new, modern sustainable jobs which would ensure the protection of the environment whilst promoting high quality tourism.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to AD especially. Now all citizen and tourists will be able to enjoy the surroudings of Ramla without any obstructions. Thanks to Victor Galea and Michael Bajada and all who supported the objection to developement in Ramla. Now we will be watching the present Government to see if this is a EU imposed decision or a decision that has been embraced by the Government. No words, only actions will demonstrate a real accetance of the EU decision. Save the other endangered environmental areas in Gozo.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic news, well done Vic, AD and everyone else

L, Rabat

Anonymous said...

Ahbar b'rizultat pozittiv! Nisperaw li kull min hu koncernat jibza' ghal dan l-akkwist u jghin (mhux jerga' jmur kontra)halli nibzghu (u ntejbu b'mod matur) dak li l-gzejjer Maltin ghandhom x' joffru lit-turist li jogghobhom izuru pajjizna.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to Victor Galea and to all who admired Ramla enough to stand up and be counted as opposed to any further building.

Anonymous said...

Another job well done by Victor and his friends .Keep it up boys from AD