Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1216530
10 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2020 NEWS " NOTIFICATION ISSUED IN TERMS OF THE LOCATIONS FOR GAMING PARLOURS DIRECTIVE Our Reference: MGA/B2C/223/2011 27 th February 2020 Gaming Operations Ltd IZIBET, Bisazza Street, Sliema The Malta Gaming Authority (hereinafter the 'Authority') hereby notifies the public that it has given its clearance for a controlled gaming premises to be opened at the above-quoted address. Such clearance however is still subject to final review of the application by the Authority. The Authority notifies the public that, until the 17 th March 2020 copies of the application, plans and other documents may be viewed, by appointment, at the Authority's office during office hours (i.e. Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) between 9am and 4pm). Any person may object to the opening of this controlled gaming premises, but such an objection may only be made on grounds of non-compliance with the Gaming Premises Regulations (S.L. 583.07 of the Laws of Malta). This Directive may be found on the Authority's website www.mga.org.mt The Authority shall only accept objections which are made in writing and which are received by not later than the 17 th March 2020. The written objections are to either be sent to the Chief Officer — Compliance, The Mo/to Gaming Authority, Building SCM02-03, Level 4, Smart City Malta, Ricasoli - SCM 1001 or by e-mail on obiections.mga@mga.org.mt Objections shall quote our reference and shall also include the details of the person making the objection, including full name, address and contact details. The Authority shall subsequently consider the objections it receives within the stipulated deadline and shall proceed accordingly. MALTA GAMING AUTHORITY www.mga.org.mt MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S minister for water and energy Michael Farrugia has said the European Union cannot dis- card support for the island's gas pipeline overnight, as the pros- pect of a €200 million grant now hangs in the balance. The government was left stunned by the European Com- mission's decision not to disburse the investment from its Connect- ing Europe Facility, after Malta's project for a natural gas pipeline to Sicily was not deemed urgent enough. The EC has claimed Malta is well served for its energy needs by the electricity interconnector to Sicily and the floating LNG terminal supplying the Delimara plant. "We still think Malta was giv- en a direction," Farrugia said on the island's project for the gas pipeline, which has been in place since 2014 and for whose studies have already been funded by the CEF. "That direction cannot change overnight. We're in discussions with the EU for this necessary investment to continue. We're expecting proposals from them. I can assure you this matter is not yet over," Farrugia told MaltaTo- day. The minister said Malta's pipe- line project was now a "matter of principle". "You cannot change your sup- port for such infrastructural initi- atives from one day to the other," he said, referring to the EU. "I'm sure the funds for the pipeline, perhaps with different condi- tions, will still be made available to us." The project for the €400 mil- lion pipeline to Sicily lost points on just two of seven mandato- ry criteria under which the CEF funds can be released. It needs to pass on all seven to have the money released to start building the pipeline. Yet Brussels believes Malta is now well-serviced by the subsea electricity cable to Sicily, which was damaged just two days before Christmas 2019, leading to a nationwide blackout. A gas pipeline would allow En- emalta or Electrogas to plug into the natural gas supply from Eu- rope, without the need for an LNG vessel to be anchored off Delima- ra; as well as reduce dependence on the subsea electricity cable. But the Commission also claims it is unclear as to why replacing the LNG vessel with a pipeline would give the island security of supply – politically the main ar- gument for Malta's demand for the pipeline. Brussels also says that since tiny Malta has no competitive market for gas – only Electrogas sup- plies gas to the Delimara 4 and 3 plants, which power the entire island – then there is no demon- strable need for the pipeline to supplant the LNG vessel. Maltese government officials now have to apply for a fourth, and final round of CEF cash un- der the current EU budget later this April, in the hope of securing the millions needed to finance the pipeline. But gas pipelines are no longer seen with eagerness in the new Von Der Leyen executive, which wants to move fast on climate targets by deprioritising gas pro- jects. Instead it wants Europe to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, by favouring innovative technologies such as smart grids, offshore wind and hydrogen. Additionally, there is an EU Ombudsman's inquiry into the CEF's fourth list of Projects of Common Interests (PCI), which includes the Malta pipeline. The European Commission is suspected of having broken EU rules by not adequately assessing the sustainability of the 32 gas projects. It will have to explain to the Ombudsman whether the gas projects had ever fulfilled the criteria included in the PCI list's dedicated regulation. If Malta misses the boat on the fourth round, the next PCI list in 2021 – the fifth – will be more stringent on gas projects' eligibil- ity for cash from the EU and the European Investment Bank. Energy minister says Malta is in talks over EU's reluctance to disburse €200 million in funds for gas pipeline to Sicily Brussels cannot ditch gas pipeline overnight, minister says Michael Farrugia (third from left): "You cannot change your support for such infrastructural initiatives from one day to the other"