Lobbying and Law Enforcement
ECO attended the meetings of the Planning
Authorities Planning Consultative Committee. The ECO representative
presented ECOs position on various occasions.
During the year ECO lobbied against: the original plans of the
Health Farm in Gozo, illegal buildings in Qala, the Ta' Cenc
Project extension and proposed that a national park be set up
around the existing hotel, the race course as proposed in Gozo.
ECO commented: on the theft of a very
old stone veranda in Gozo, on Wied Peskru, regarding and asked
for an Environment Impact Assessment of Fort Chambray to take
place, by requesting the end of the use of coal in the Marsa
Power Station, and requested the setting up of marine reserves,
on quarries, in favour of the Marine Pollution (Prevention and
control) Act.
ECO proposed draft laws and regulations
for all billboards in the Maltese Islands.
A series of legal articles were written
to underline the legal implications of the ratification by the
government of Malta of the Convention of the Law of the Sea.
Held meetings with the political parties
and the government on the environmental situation in the Maltese
Islands.
Published ECOs charter on Animal Rights.
Conducted a survey on public transport.
200 persons who use public transport and 200 who do not use it
regularly were interviewed. Results were published with comments
on how public transport in the Maltese Islands could improve.
Lobbied against hunting. A survey conducted
by ECO revealed that 70% of those interviewed did not agree with
the abolition of hunting in the Maltese Islands, while 23% wanted
the abolition of hunting. 24% of those interviewed thought the
current hunting regulations were adequate, while 48% wanted stricter
regulations. These results enabled ECO to further lobby for stricter
hunting regulations and enforcement. ECO welcomed the new hunting
regulations issued shortly after.
Environmental Education
and Campaigns
As part of the "Making
One World" Campaign various articles were published
on National Newspapers and Radio and Television interviews carried
out. The very popular Xummiemu (a hedgehog) stories were published
on the children's magazine Saghtar on a monthly basis.
A save the frogs competition was organised
as part of the Hallini Hieles
campaign. 582 participants participated in the competition and
the prizes were distributed by Dr Stanley Zammit.
The ECO International Children's Hearing
was organised with the participation of 45 children and youths
from 12 countries that freely expressed their opinion on various
issues. The hearing included various Members of Parliament (Minister
Michael Frendo, Charles Buhagiar) that listened to the children
and answered their queries. President Tabone welcomed the children
to the Palace for a meeting.
Seminar on smoking with the participation
of Dr Stanley Zammit, Dr Philip Muscat and Mark Borg.
Environmental education activities and
articles were carried out on these themes: glass recycling, the
house, travel, seaside, shipping, garden, narcis flowers, and
the green consumer.
Survey on illegal buildings. 300 tourists
and 300 Maltese were interviewed. From the survey it resulted
that 79% of tourists and 93% of Maltese want illegal boathouses
dropped.
ECO participated in the Clean Up the
World activities, and celebrated Earth Day, World Consumers Day
and World Environment Day. Various clean ups were organised in
collaboration of the scouts.
ECOlogika was organised in order to recycle
jeans and tins that the general public brought over.
ECO received a prize from the Peace Laboratory
for its ecological work.
ECO organised the SWATCH newseum in the
Maltese Islands. Over 13,000 people visited the activity allowing
ECO to collect the remaining funds to buy its premises in Valletta,
fund educational campaigns and adopt a humpback whale.
The Glass
or Nothing campaign was organised to promote the use of glass
bottles and underline the disadvantages of plastic bottles. In
a survey conducted by ECO it resulted that 92% of the Maltese
preferred plastic bottles, while 8% went for glass bottles. The
campaign reached 10,000 persons who were contacted by ECO activists.
ECO set up a hotline for Local Councils.
ECO activists met the majority of local councils to collaborate
with them on environmental issues.
ECO conducted a survey on 841 persons
to check what the Maltese perceived to be the main environmental
problems. In Malta the results reflected the roads as the main
problem (45%) while in Gozo Land Use (41%) was identified as
the main problem. The second main problem in Malta was air quality
at 34%. In the detailed study published by ECO it resulted that
only 0.25% of the Maltese thought we did not have environmental
problems. 87% agreed with the creation of marine parks; 81% wanted
illegal constructions to be pulled down; 78% were against private
beaches with limited access; and 78% wanted all illegal boathouses
to be removed.
Over 500 persons attended the Maltese
Ecological Summit II. The participants included civil society,
NGOs and institutions, as well as Minister Michael Frendo; MP
Leo Brincat; Minister Michael Falzon; MP Evarist Bartolo, MP
George Vella, Minister Tonio Borg. The Prime Minister and the
Leader of the Opposition were the main speakers in the closing
session.
Save Our
Seas campaign organised with
a special focus on dolphins and sea tortles.
One Race Human Race (Campaign
on Racism)
A campaign entitled One
Race Human Race was organised throughout the year (with UNITED)
and educational material distributed.
Worked for the rights of children, especially
against child labour.
Celebration of the UN Day Against Racism
in March.
The International Day Against Fascism
was remembered on the 9th November through an informative article
(in conjunction with UNITED).
Celebrated the refugees' day (in conjunction
with UNITED).
The European Union and the
Mediterranean
Co-operation with the European Environmental
Bureau on a number of issues related to the European Union.
Issued an article on hunting and the
EU.
Attended the Ministers conference on
the Environmental Action Programme.
Attended a COE meeting on EU financial
aid.
International Activities
and Miscellaneous
The Clean up the Mediterranean campaign
was organised on behalf of LegaAmbiente.
Attended various meetings and conferences
organised by EYFA, YEE, PETA, YEU, BB Foundation, Environment
Defence Fund and FYEG of whom ECO is a member. ECO was elected
on the YEE committee and the ECO President PRO of the European
Young European Greens.
ECO continued offering individuals a
service by which they could purchase acres of tropical rain forest,
mostly in Costa Rica.
