Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1513303
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 DECEMBER 2023 NEWS Labour MEPs diverge against Frontex-Libyan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "This will encourage people to use sea transport to get around the island. It will cost money but I believe it is a wise investment," the minister says. The ferry service provides a di- rect connection between Vallet- ta and Bormla across the Grand Harbour and Valletta and Sliema across Marsamxett Harbour. There are plans to extend the ser- vice to Buġibba, where works on a ferry landing site were approved by the Planning Authority earlier this year. Farrugia says works on the Sliema ferry terminal will be completed in the first quarter of 2024. Free bus transport was intro- duced in October 2022 with the latest statistics showing that a re- cord 6.5 million passengers were carried last October alone. The government will be subsi- dising the bus route network to the tune of €49 million next year and spend an additional €25 mil- lion to cover free travel. Farrugia says the investment in public transport will be comple- mented by a further investment of €35 million over the next five years for the creation of a ded- icated cycling and pedestrian route network. He insists that although govern- ment's investment in road pro- jects will not waiver – the Msida Creek project is slated to start next year – millions more are be- ing spent on alternative transport means to encourage a modal shift in travel. Reclamation and Marsa Menqa But 2024 will also see the gov- ernment present its plans for land reclamation to the Planning Authority. Farrugia says the projects that will be considered concern "in- dustry uses and spaces where people can enjoy themselves" but is scant on detail. However, he does hint that a super yacht ma- rina may be one of the projects to be considered. As for the possible sites where land can be reclaimed from the sea, Farrugia says two studies carried out during the Gonzi and Muscat administrations had largely honed in on the same areas, which include the sea off Xgħajra and the area at Qaliet Marku in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq. Farrugia adds that one of the projects the government will be working on is the regeneration of the Menqa area in Marsa to turn it into a destination for leisure ac- tivities. "It is a complicated area because of competing industrial and com- mercial uses but it is something I intend delivering on without compromising the maritime ac- tivity," Farrugia says. SEE INTERVIEW ON MT2 Free public transport will be extended to the ferry service MALTESE MEPs were split on a European Parliament res- olution that included clauses acknowledging media reports on how Frontex cooperated with a Libyan militia accused of human rights abuses. MEPs on Thursday voted on several amendments to a resolution concerning the operations of the EU's border agency. Labour MEPs Josianne Cuta- jar and Cyrus Engerer were the only two Maltese MEPs present to vote on the resolu- tion and its amendments. The three other MEPs – Alfred Sant, Alex Agius Saliba and David Casa - were absent. Despite hailing from the same parliamentary grouping and party, Cutajar and Enger- er's positions diverged on the inclusion of a clause acknowl- edging media reports that Frontex cooperated directly with militia groups in Libya. Engerer voted in favour of the clause. "I always vote to have facts in reports and res- olutions, away from partisan spin," he told this newspaper. "The fact that the report on Frontex coincided with the revelations made by MaltaTo- day and other journalists on Frontex, it was opportune to include the fact in the Euro- pean Parliament report." MaltaToday was part of a joint investigation into the Libyan militia group Tareq Bin Zeyad, which is carry- ing out pullbacks in Malta's search and rescue zone. Both Frontex and the Armed Forces of Malta were found to have passed on coordinates directly to the militia group, resulting in pushbacks by proxy. Engerer added that this is not the first time that Fron- tex's operations raised eye- brows. A year ago, the EU's anti-fraud agency found that senior staff at Frontex were involved in covering up illegal pushbacks in Greece. This led to the resignation of Frontex executive director Fabrice Leggeri. "The European Parliament holds the power to scrutinise Frontex and we must ensure that it complies with its re- sponsibilities, including the protection and promotion of fundamental rights," Engerer said. Cutajar voted against the reference being in the opera- tive text but did not vote on whether it should be in the recitals. "I voted against the men- tioned amendment along with the majority of S&D because the text of the resolution al- ready contained other refer- ences to the subject and this amendment was not part of the agreed compromise," she told MaltaToday. The European Parliament had been discussing a wider resolution calling on Frontex to respect EU principles while scaling down operations in member states that do not re- spect EU values. MEPs from The Left and Green political groupings proposed amendments in the NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt Migrants being transferred to the Tareq Bin Zeyad boat on 7 July (Photo: Sea Watch International)