The European Union
As from October 1998 ECO started a campaign
calling for environmental preparation for EU accession.
ECO co-operated with the European Environmental
Bureau in view of studying the situation of applicant countries
vis a vis membership.
ECO looked into the Acquis Communitaire
for the European Union in relation to Malta's current law.
A representative of ECO participated
in the meeting parallel to the EU Ministerial Conference in Vienna.
The meeting was organised by the EEB.
Lobbying and Law Enforcement
During 1998 a number of policy papers
were published on the local media. These included:
Sewage Treatment in the Maltese Islands
Rubble Walls
Plastics
Golf Courses and the Maltese Islands
Waste Disposal
Polluter Pay Principle
Public Transport
Organised a campaign regarding village
cores and their protection targeting local councils
The illegal employment of children was
denounced. During 1997 c100 children were working illegally.
Over the year lobbying was conducted
against illegal buildings in various areas in Malta & Gozo;
golf courses; illegal dumping; in favour of the protection of
fortifications; of marine parks on the coastline, a to add to
the list of protected sites.
Proposals for a more enhanced animal
welfare were published.
In view of the 1998 general elections,
ECO issued a memorandum relating to the Planning Authority, Environmental
Impact Assessments & Development, Golf Courses, mayor projects,
eco-tourism, animal rights, Land use, the Death penalty, Malta
& the EU, Environmental Education and environmental law enforcement.
ECO welcomed the introduction of the
Referendum Law in September 1999.
ECO reacted to the 1999 budget.
Environmental Education
A book written by Maltese children, names
Stejjer Ekologici was published and distributed in schools. 527
from all over the Islands wrote ecological oriented stories,
and the chosen 14 were published in book format. The stories
were also published over 14 weeks on a Sunday newspaper.
An Environment Education campaign to
protect frogs in accordance to Legal Notice 49 of 1993 was organised
on the media.
A policy paper on air pollution was published
on the local media.
A series of articles in view of the climate
change Summit in Buenos Aires were published on the local newspapers.
As part of the +1baby=+1tree
campaign ECO urged the government, local councils and parents
to plant a tree for every baby born.
A book regarding the famous hedgehog
character Xummiemu was published and 5000 copies sold. A second
edition was printed. ECO has written the Xummiemu stories as
from the beginning of the character.
On a monthly basis Xummiemu stories,
that all have an environmental theme, were published on the leading
magazine for children, Saghtar.
ECO presented various Environmental Education
material and books to the Seminarju in Gozo for the fifth consecutive
year.
The environmental education colouring
booklet "Il-Qanfud li Nqabad" was published and distributed
to over 3000 children.
ECO participate din the Clean Up the
World campaign.
Ecological New Year Resolutions were
issued.
Sustainable Coastal Development
& Sustainable Tourism
On the occasion of world tourism day
ECO published its proposals for sustainable tourism.
The proposed building of a communications
tower on the coast instead of a Grade 2 historical building was
denounced. Eventually the project was put aside.
ECO made various calls for thousands
of illegal boathouses along the coastline to be demolished.
The Clean Up the Mediterranean Sea campaign
was organised by ECO in Malta on behalf of LegaAmbiente.
One Race Human Race (Campaign
on Racism)
The concert "Colours in Rhythm"
was organised by ECO at the University of Malta. Main leading
Maltese artists participated in the concert singing songs with
a theme related to equal rights.
Antiracism material was presented to
the Minister of Education. The material produced together with
UNITED was distributed in schools, and included a book with practical
exercises about the theme of racism.
ECO was selected by the Council of Europe
to participate in the preparations of the UN conference regarding
Racism.
International Activities
and Miscellaneous
Throughout 1998 ECO co-operated with
World Wide Fund for Nature and issued their press releases in
the Maltese Islands.
As part of the Med Forum campaign on
desertification, ECO lobbied the Maltese government to ratify
the UN desertification agreement. The government forwarded a
notice of ratification.
ECO participated in the International
Conference held in Greece titled Environment And Society : Education
and Public Awareness for sustainability.
During 1998 the paper bank of ECO officially
closed since the authorities would not return the public land
previously used till December 1996. Over 1996 ECO had exported
700 tonnes of paper for recycling.
ECO participated in the International
Call of Earth Action for a safer world.
The first ECOlogical Generation Award
was launched. Ernst Vella, Nixxiegha Kulturali Mellieha won the
award presented by the parliamentary secretary for youths for
the work he did on a local level.
World Environments Day was celebrated
on 5th June
ECO participated in the 5th Mediterranean
Environmental Forum in Barcelona. The concept behind AGENDA 2000
was published in the media.
A drawing competition, Painting by Children
of the Environment was organised.
A member of ECO was elected vice president
of Youth and Environment Europe.
A member of ECO was elected to the Mediterranean
Council of Med Forum.
ECO participated in various activities
of the Mediterranean Information office.
