Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1312765
8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 NOVEMBER 2020 NEWS LOOKING back at the first six- teen years of EU membership, the improvement in the quality of the environment has been one of the most tangible results com- ing out from Malta's use of EU funding under the bloc's Cohe- sion Policy. Streams of exhaust coming out of aged cars and chunks of sew- age floating towards the coast were daily occurrences up to a couple of decades ago – a reality which a mix of regulation, policy and infrastructural projects made sure to get rid of. Climate change and global warming has in recent years shot up to one of the key concerns among European populations – including the Maltese. It is therefore no surprise that stricter environmental standards are high up on the EU's agenda. From the quality of the air, de- teriorated by heavy pollution, to the limited and always shrinking reserves of ground water, Malta had to take action to meet the re- quirements. Most importantly, it also had to start monitoring the progress achieved, in these critical areas, and report regularly environment data to the European Commis- sion so that the island's progress could be calculated. Through millions of euro in- vested from EU funds, particu- larly from the European Regional and Development Fund, which is a key tool of EU Cohesion Pol- icy, large-scale infrastructural projects have been completed including the construction of new plants for the treatment of sewage before its release into coastal waters, facilities to reduce pollution particularly through the transport and energy genera- tion sectors and the abatement of noise levels. The necessary monitoring tools were put in place, through a pro- ject co-financed by EU Cohesion Funds, implemented by the Plan- ning Authority and the Environ- ment and Resources Authority. Air quality measuring stations were acquired and placed along crucial arterial nodes across the island while new studies and sur- veys were commissioned to act as a baseline from where progress in particular areas had to start being measured on a continuous bases. This was the case of the levels and quality of soil and water re- sources, particularly in the aqui- fer. Through new state-of-the-art equipment authorities are also able to measure the level of radia- tion and noise in our community. EU funds were also needed to give the proper training and to have the necessary expertise not only to gather the data but also to analyse it and use it for establish- ing new policies and targets. Democratic popularisation of environmental data was also an innovation for Malta. Through investment in ICT facilities, the public today has direct access to data gathered by the authorities and can easily follow progress or the lack of it, through daily indicators and up- dates on public online portals. EU funds have contributed significantly to a better environ- ment and most importantly to better knowledge of what is go- ing on, enabling the authorities to correct and adapt where need arises. This article is part of the OurEU. mt campaign, which is be- ing managed by CiConsulta's ComuniqEU, with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole respon- sibility of CiConsulta and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union. EU Cohesion Policy: Making sure the environment is and stays healthy MEP welcomes government plan for 'right to disconnect' law KARL AZZOPARDI THE Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba has welcomed govern- ment's intention of introducing a legislation aimed at legally en- forcing the right to disconnect. A report on employment and social policies to recognize the right to "digitally disconnect" in the euro-area authored by Sali- ba, was met with overwhelming support. The right to switch off, some- times called the 'right to discon- nect', refers to a worker's right to be able to disconnect from work and refrain from engaging in work-related electronic commu- nications, such as emails or other messages, during non-work hours. Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Carmelo Abela said last week that government plans to make Malta the first Euro- pean member state to introduce such legislation. "These legal regulations will introduce more flexibility for employers and workers them- selves while also benefiting our country's economic competi- tiveness," Abela told a meeting of the General Workers' Union (GWU). Agius Saliba said government's commitment augurs well, and looks forward to engaging in fur- ther discussions with the Gov- ernment in the coming months. "There must be a general right to disconnection at a European level that clarifies and strength- ens the right of workers to dis- connect from a work-related device and not respond to a request without facing adverse consequences," Agius Saliba said in a statement. The first vote on the Right to Disconnect legislation as pro- posed by the MEP is expected to be held in the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on 1 December 2020. Alex Agius Saliba