Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1494946
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 MARCH 2023 NEWS NEWS JOSEPH Sciberras, a 46-year-old count made at a BOV ATM in a kind-hearted elderly man to Maltese MEPs vote against EU rules on buildings' energy performance MATTHEW VELLA MALTA'S MEPs have vot- ed against draft measures that mandate house renovations to reduce energy consumption in buildings. The draft rules would require all new buildings to be ze- ro-emission from 2028, with the deadline for new buildings occu- pied, operated or owned by pub- lic authorities in 2026. All new buildings should be equipped with solar technologies by 2028, where technically suitable and economically feasible, while residential buildings undergo- ing major renovation have until 2032. The proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive aims to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emis- sions, to make the EU building sector climate neutral by 2050. Buildings in the EU are re- sponsible for 40% of all energy consumption and 36% of green- house gas emissions. A new Eu- ropean Climate Law enshrined both the 2030 and the 2050 tar- gets into binding European law. MEPs adopted their position by 343 votes to 216, with 78 absten- tions, narrowly avoiding defeat from a right-wing backlash from the EPP and liberals Renew. MEPs will now enter into nego- tiations with Council to agree on the final shape of the bill. Labour MEPs Alex Agius Sali- ba, Alfred Sant and Cyrus Enger- er voted against, as did National- ist MEP David Casa – with the socialist S&D group backing the law, while the centre-right EPP split over the vote. Labour MEP Josianne Cutajar was not present for the vote. The PN candidate for Europe, Peter Agius, earlier this week warned that the radical shake-up in the way properties are built in Malta would require wall, floor and ceiling insulation as well as smart lighting and solar panels to become the standard, suggesting added compliance costs could raise the price of a three-bed- room apartment by €36,000. Agius said that by 2028, the ex- tra costs would comprise €5,000 in thermal and double-glazing, €3,000 in smart lighting, €6,000 in solar panels and €3,000 for a heat pump, €8,000 in wall insula- tion, and €11,000 in ground and ceiling insulation. "As a country, it is in our interest to be part of the fight against climate change. Initial capital investments in property improvements will be offset in due time, however, we must be vigilant not to pass on the full cost of climate change on the upcoming generations," Agius said. European Parliament vote Residential buildings have to achieve, at a minimum, energy performance class E by 2030, and D by 2033 – on a scale go- ing from A to G, the latter corre- sponding to the 15% worst-per- forming buildings in the national stock of a member state. Non-residential and public buildings would have to achieve the same ratings by 2027 and 2030 respectively. The upgrade in energy per- formance, which can take the form of insulation works or im- provement in the heating sys- tem, would take place when a building is sold or undergoes a major renovation or, if it is being rented, when a new contract is signed. Member states have to present national renovation plans that also include support schemes to facilitate access to grants and funding. They can also exclude build- ings protected for their special architectural or historical mer- it, technical buildings, buildings used temporarily, and churches and places of worship. Member states may also exempt public social housing, where renova- tions would lead to rent increas- es that cannot be compensated by savings on energy bills. "Soaring energy prices have put the focus on energy efficien- cy and energy saving measure," said Irish MEP Ciarán Cuffe, of the Greens. "Improving the performance of Europe's build- ings will reduce bills and our dependence on energy imports. We want the directive to reduce energy poverty and bring down emissions, and provide better in- door environments for people's health. This is a growth strategy for Europe that will deliver hun- dreds of thousands of good qual- ity, local jobs in the construc- tion, renovation, and renewable industries, while improving the well-being of millions of people living in Europe." MATTHEW AGIUS TWO young men from Syria were cleared of causing over €2,500 worth of damage to public property during a fight with a group of bouncers in Paceville in the summer of 2020, due to lack of evidence. Bashar Sheikh Ahmad Antar, 22 and Yusef Sheh Ahmad Khaled, 31, were also acquitted of breaching the public peace and being drunk and unable to take care of themselves in a public place. The fight had taken place during the ear- ly hours of 1 August, 2020, when a night- club bouncer saw a Syrian man smash a glass on the floor of the club and went to eject him from the premises. The court was told that Antar had gone over to the bouncer and tried to convince him not to throw the man out, but the bouncers took no heed and evicted the entire group from the premises. Angry at their treatment, the group of Syrian men subsequently threw several drinking glasses at the establishment's fa- cade. In Court, a police constable testified to having seen a big commotion in front of the club and had spoken to some of the individuals involved in the disturbance. The men he spoke to had told him that a bouncer had kicked them out because one of them had dropped a glass on the floor. He testified to having seen a num- ber of drinking glasses hurtling towards the facade but had not seen who had thrown them. The officer testified to having spoken to the bouncer, who had explained that Sheikh Abdul had not dropped the glass, but had kicked it. The court was told that Khaled had been arrested because he had returned to the door of the club, making offensive gestures and insulting the per- sons inside, even after the police had dis- persed the crowd. The bouncer testified, telling the court that at around 4am a police sergeant had ordered him to turn off the music. Upon entering the club, he said, he had seen a man smashing a glass on the floor right next to a girl's foot. He said that as soon as he went up to the man to throw him out, Ahmad Anter had approached him to prevent them from going outside. The bouncer said that he had taken both men outside, at which point bottles had started raining down on him. There were too many people involved to allow him to identify them, he said, ex- plaining that Khaled had obstructed them but Ahmad Antar had not given them any trouble. Joseph Rivan, a bouncer at a next- door club testified that he had called the police. He, too, confirmed that although the accused had been present, he had not seen him do anything. In its decision to acquit the accused, in addition to its doubts regarding the vid- eo's authenticity, the Court also pointed out that none of the witnesses had iden- tified the accused as having thrown the bottles and had said that although they had been at the scene, they had not seen the defendant doing anything. Two men cleared after fight with group of bouncers