• The Interdiocesan Environment Commission (KA) invited the Maltese candidates for the European Parliament elections to promote the KA’s bid, if elected, so that all citizens, both in Malta and in all other member states of the European Union, would be given the opportunity to express their views, effectively and at the right time, when all the alternatives in a development proposal financed by the EU are being considered.

    The KA has taken this initiative following its proposal submitted on the 5th of November 2018, on the occasion of World Town planning Day, to the European Commission and to the President of the European Parliament highlighting the need for public participation in the preparation of a Cost-Benefit Analysis for projects which would be funded by the European Union, when such analysis would be required under EU regulations.

    In his reply, the President of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani informed the KA that the European Parliament shares the KA’s views about the importance that local communities be consulted at an early stage of projects financed by the EU. Antonio Tajani wrote that he had forwarded the proposal to the rapporteurs in the committee on Regional Development which was working on the regulations for the financial programme of the EU for the years 2021–2027. Moreover, he expressed his conviction that the rapporteurs would take the KA’s views into account when preparing Parliament’s position on the future of the cohesion policy.