Review of the Guidelines on Works involving Trees
CONSULTATION BRIEF
Start date: 14 October 2022
Closing date: 11 November 2022
Title of the public consultation:
Intent and Objectives: Review of the Guidelines on Works involving Trees
Ministry: Ministry for the
Environment, Energy and Enterprise
Entity: Environment and Resources
Authority
1. Background
The Guidelines
on Works involving Trees were issued in 2019 with the intent on providing
clear details on best practices for various interventions on trees, primarily,
pruning, transplanting and compensatory planting. The Guidelines represent a
comprehensive document with information to prospective applicants, architects,
consultants and the wider public on a number of items related to trees
including:
1. Which trees are protected and under
what circumstances is a permit needed;
2. How to apply for a permit;
3. How to carry out sensitive
pruning works;
4. How to carry out sensitive
transplanting;
5. Principles of compensatory
planting, as an update to the Guidelines on Trees, Shrubs and Plants on Planting
and Landscaping in the Maltese Islands (EMU 2002);
6. How to avoid damage to trees due
to construction; and
7. Becoming a Licensed Tree
Specialist.
2. Consultation
Intent and Objectives
ERA is proposing to review
various sections of the Guidelines on Works involving Trees. Amendments to the
following sections of the Guidelines are being proposed:
1. How to apply for a permit;
2. Good practices in pruning,
transplanting;
3. Compensation to include further
scenarios and ratios; and
4. Any other sections requiring
update.
Consultation Questions
The Authority wishes to receive
feedback on the above intent and objectives, as well as any other related
issues linked with these aspects you feel as duly relevant or of attention.
3. Submission of feedback
Comments will be received by
email on era.policy@era.org.mt by 11
November 2022.
4. Further notes:
Please be informed that comments submitted,
together with the identity of the contributor, may be published online at the
end of the public consultation, unless the contributor objects to the
publication of his/her personal data. In this case, the contribution may be
published in anonymous form.
All comments submitted shall be
duly considered.
The draft amendments to the
guidelines will be available for public consultation in due course at the
following web link: https://era.org.mt/consultation-on-legislation-and-policy
National Action Plan concerning Marine Species Introduction and Invasive Marine Species in Malta
CONSULTATION BRIEF
Start date: 7 October 2022
Closing date: 4 November 2022
Title of the public consultation:
Intent and Objectives: National Action Plan concerning Marine Species
Introduction and Invasive Marine Species in Malta
Ministry: Ministry for the Environment,
Energy and Enterprise
Entity: Environment &
Resources Authority
1. Background
In terms of Article 51 of the
Environment Protection Act (Cap. 549), it is duly notified that the Environment
and Resources Authority (ERA) is elaborating a ‘National Action Plan concerning
marine species introduction and invasive species in Malta’ within the framework
of the Protocol concerning Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity
in the Mediterranean (SPA/BD Protocol) of the Barcelona Convention. This will
be in collaboration with a national expert commissioned by the Specially Protected
Areas Regional Activity Centre (SPA/RAC).
The introduction of
non-indigenous species (NIS), also known as alien species, is considered a
major driver of native biodiversity loss in marine ecosystems, challenging the
conservation of marine biodiversity and natural resources. Alien marine species
may become invasive and substantially change community structure, modify
habitats and affect foodweb properties and ecosystem processes. NIS can also be
associated with impacts on human health and economic sectors.
Therefore, it is imperative to
take immediate steps to prevent the introduction of alien species, control the
spread of those already introduced and endeavour to mitigate the damage they
cause to the marine ecosystem, including through national actions as well as
regional and international cooperation.
The development of a National
Action Plan addressing NIS is in accordance with the requirements of the Regional
Action Plan concerning Species Introductions and Invasive Species in the
Mediterranean Sea (UNEP/MAP 2017) under the Barcelona Convention. This invites
Mediterranean countries to adopt National Plans for the prevention of the
introduction of new alien marine species by controlling their pathways, and to
mitigate their negative impact. It shall also respond to and feed into other
policy processes, including those pertaining to the EU Marine Strategy
Framework Directive (Directive 2008/56/EC) and the EU Regulation on the
prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien
species (Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014), as well as the recently adopted National
Strategy for Preventing and Mitigating the Impact of Invasive Alien Species
(IAS) in the Maltese Islands, together with the accompanying National
Codes of Good Practice, and the national Action
Plan Addressing Escape From Confinement of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of
Union Concern (Pets, Aquaria and Terrarium species).
2. Consultation
Intent and Objectives
The intent of the proposed
National Action Plan is to serve as a national policy driver for the prevention
of the introduction of new alien marine species by controlling their pathways,
and to mitigate their negative impact. The main objectives of the proposed National
Action Plan are:
1. to encourage all necessary
actions aimed at improving the available knowledge with respect to non-indigenous
species (NIS) in Maltese marine waters;
2. to establish monitoring processes
that enable continuous assessment of NIS and their impacts on the marine
environment;
3. to coordinate the actions
necessary for the regular provision of essential information for national and Mediterranean-wide
reference lists of alien species, databases and online platforms;
4. to support coordinated efforts
for management of NIS throughout the Mediterranean region and encourage the
implementation of scientifically-backed regionally-harmonised measures of
prevention and control of NIS introduction in particular for the high risk
pathways of NIS;
5. to develop training and raising
awareness programmes for prevention and mitigation of impacts.
The following questions are being
asked as part of this consultation:
1. Do you agree with the proposed intent
and objectives of this National Action Plan?
2. Can the objectives be further
refined, keeping in mind the intent and scope of this National Action Plan?
3. Do you have any further feedback
or comments on the intent or objectives of this National Action Plan?
3. Submission of feedback
E-mail: era.policy@era.org.mt
4. Further notes:
Please be informed that comments
submitted, together with the identity of the contributor, may be published
online at the end of the public consultation, unless the contributor objects to
the publication of his/her personal data. In this case, the contribution may be
published in anonymous form.
All comments submitted shall be
duly considered.
The draft National Action Plan
concerning marine species introduction and marine invasive species in Malta will
be available for public consultation in due course at the following web link: https://era.org.mt/consultation-on-legislation-and-policy/
Malta Yelkouan Shearwater Species Action Plan 2022-2030
CONSULTATION
BRIEF
Start
date: 3 October 2022
Closing
date: 31 October 2022
Title
of the public consultation: Intent and Objectives: Malta Yelkouan Shearwater
Species Action Plan 2022-2030
Ministry:
Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise
Entity:
Environment & Resources Authority
1.
Background
In
terms of Article 51 of the Environment Protection Act (Cap. 549), it is duly
notified that the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is preparing the ‘Malta
Yelkouan Shearwater Species Action Plan 2022-2030’.
The
Yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) is a seabird species endemic to the
Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The Maltese Islands are home to around 10% of
the global breeding population of the Yelkouan Shearwater with an estimated
population of 1,795–2,635 breeding pairs. This population is threatened by
numerous pressures linked to anthropogenic activities including by-catch, rat
predation, habitat loss and disturbance from light and noise arising from both
maritime and land-based activities.
Management
processes for the protection of this species should be established on the basis
of all relevant policies, including the EU Birds Directive, the EU Birds
Directive, the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Protocol concerning
Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean, and
the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (S.L. 549.44).
The
development of this Action Plan would build on the long-term Action Plan for
the conservation of the Maltese Yelkouan Shearwater population, as developed
through the LIFE Arċipelagu Garnija - LIFE14 NAT/MT/991 (2015-2020), in order
to adopt a National Action Plan for the protection of this species and possibly
extend such to cover all three breeding seabirds in Malta.
In
this regard, the aim is to adopt such an action plan, for a management regime
for the protection of the Yelkouan Shearwater that goes beyond site-specific
objectives and conservation measures within protected areas, in order to
provide holistic protection of this species which is susceptible to
wide-ranging pressures.
2.
Consultation
Intent
The
main intent of the Yelkouan Shearwater Species Action Plan 2022-2030 is to lay
down a way forward for the conservation and the improvement of status of the
species’ local populations. The plan will be set for the achievement of the following
objectives:
1. to
sustain or increase the species’ reproductive success;
2. to
increase the species adult survival rate;
3. to
reduce fledgling light-induced groundings;
4. to
sustain the current extent of the breeding range;
5. to
improve the availability and the quality of the species’ breeding habitat;
6. to
implement identified conservation measures for the Yelkouan Shearwater and
evaluate their effectiveness within Natura 2000 sites.
The
achievement of such objectives will be sought through management of
anthropogenic activity that may result in pressures including inter alia rat
predation, light disturbance and noise disturbance.
The
following questions are being asked as part of this consultation:
1. Do
you agree with the proposed intent and objectives of this action plan?
2. Can
the objectives be further refined, or should additional objectives/actions be
considered?
3. Do
you have any further feedback or comments on the intent or objectives of this
action plan?
3.
Submission of feedback
E-mail:
era.policy@era.org.mt
4.
Further notes:
Please
be informed that comments submitted, together with the identity of the
contributor, may be published online at the end of the public consultation,
unless the contributor objects to the publication of his/her personal data. In
this case, the contribution may be published in anonymous form.
All
comments submitted shall be duly considered.
The
draft Malta Yelkouan Shearwater Species Action Plan 2022 – 2030 will be
available for public consultation in due course at the following web link: era.org.mt/consultation-on-legislation-and-policy/
National Strategy for the Environment 2050
CONSULTATION BRIEF
Start date: 7 September 2022
Closing date: 21 October 2022
Title of the public consultation: Public
Consultation: National Strategy for the Environment 2050
Ministry: Ministry for the Environment, Energy and
Enterprise
Entity: Environment & Resources Authority (ERA)
1. Background
A healthy environment is both our duty and our right,
and it is each and everyone’s moral and legal obligation to contribute towards
a sustainable future. Choosing the path and setting the pace for protecting and
managing our environment from now till the next generation is critical for a
future which includes our common goods. This is what the National Strategy for
the Environment (NSE) will strive to achieve.
The NSE, which is mandated by Article 45 of the Environment
Protection Act (Cap. 549), translates the previously published Wellbeing
First Vision for 2050 into a strategic policy direction for our environment
by setting out long-term Strategic Goals and Objectives that outline how this
is going to be done. The NSE is underpinned by the recognition that the
environment supports the existence of society, which in turn creates economic
activity to sustain itself, and one cannot function successfully without the
other.
The NSE has been built on eight Strategic Goals, which address
traditional environmental facets complemented with pillars which focus on key
environmental challenges which our country faces, whilst also laying down the
roadmap to enable and empower changes that are needed in order to support an
environmental transformation over a generation. The eight Strategic Goals are
related to Clean Air, Quality Neighbourhood, Thriving Biodiversity, Zero Waste,
Resilient Land Resources, Flourishing Seas, Sustainable Water Resources and
Enabling Change.
2. Consultation
ERA is inviting the public and interested stakeholders
to provide their feedback on the draft National Strategy for the Environment
2050. The following consultation questions are being provided to guide the
consultation:
1. Do you think that the proposed Strategic Goals and
Objectives adequately provide the environmental direction which is required in
the coming 30 years?
2. What strategic actions, besides those already mentioned
under the respective Strategic Objectives, do you feel should be included?
3. Action Plans will be developed to turn the Strategy into
reality, each covering roughly a 10-year period until 2050. What actions should
the first NSE Action Plan prioritise till 2030?
3. Documents
National
Strategy for the Environment 2050 – Public Consultation Draft
National
Strategy for the Environment 2050 – Public Consultation Draft – Executive
Summary
Relevant
background documents and information
4. Submission of feedback
Comments will be received by email on nse@era.org.mt by 21st October 2022.
5. Further notes
Please be informed that comments submitted, together
with the identity of the contributor, may be published online at the end of the
public consultation, unless the contributor objects to the publication of
his/her personal data. In this case, the contribution may be published in
anonymous form.
All comments submitted shall be duly considered.