Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/513060
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 MAY 2015 News 3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 During the 2002 negotiations with the EU, the Nationalist administration pre- sented the EC with the precise to- tal number of trappers who had a licence – but that year, most trap- pers did not have a licence and no title over land, prompting a scram- ble to have thousands of trappers regularised. Notable was the sudden appear- ance of hundreds of trappers from Gozo who previously were never registered as such. Though Muscat had made no electoral pledge to reopen bird trapping, he decided to introduce the practice last year as a clear sop to the hunting and trapping lobby. In doing so he reopened an old en- vironmental wound and ignored the guidelines for those in posses- sion of a trapping licence. The new trapping licences should have been reserved to those who had been in possession of a trap- ping licence in 2004. But this does not appear to have been the case this time round and new trappers were allowed to register. On becoming Environment Commissioner, former tourism minister Karmenu Vella had told Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder that the EC had already initiated formal infringement pro- ceedings against Malta over the Maltese government's decision to derogate from the ban on the trapping of seven species of wild finches. The first letter of formal notice was issued on 16 October, 2014, inviting Malta to submit its obser- vations on the matter within one month of receipt of this letter. On 16 October, 2014, the Com- mission wrote to the Maltese gov- ernment asking it to reconsider its decision to resume traditional finch trapping, but on 20 Octo- ber the government decided to go ahead and open the finch trapping season. SAVIOUR BALZAN JULIAN Manduca may have been the high priest of tree-huggers, and add to that a committed veg- etarian and a charming ladies' man. But here at MaltaToday, it was his unadulterated idealism and high political values that were bequeathed to us when he left the news- room on a Tuesday after- noon, to go back home to Valletta where he would die in the arms of his wife. What would Julian say of the state of the envi- ronment today under a Labour government? Perhaps this is the fairest question we ask ourselves today, measuring our- selves to his journalistic intellect and judicious environmental awareness. He would surely complain, but not give up on his country. A cosmopolitan soul stuck in a small world, his friendliness striking up alliances everywhere he goes, he would surely protest the unscru- pulous carving-up of natural land- scapes for the gain of the few, of the rich, of the powerful. Julian was part and parcel of the green movement that took on the building onslaught that ate away at the Maltese and Gozitan country- side in the 1980s, leading him to set up the federation of environmental groups called Zghazagh ghall-Am- bjent. He was skillful at living a full life: dedicating himself to voluntary work, play football and organise the film club at the University of Malta, hold court at City of London… even that was lesson to all of us. As in 1987… so in 2013. When the government changed back then we realised that things would not change for the environment. From his flat on Triq il-Kuccard we plot- ted a new political party… he later ensured catering for the 1,400 people who appeared at the launch of Alternattiva Demokratika on that torrential evening on 6 October, 1989. From then on he was a reference point for the greens: the waste cri- sis, land use, MEPA, the Hilton, Ta' Cenc, GMOs, the golf course… and as a libertarian, his outspo- ken views on morality and drug decriminalisation en- deared him as a 'radical'. But unlike others he never wavered. He left his job with an audit firm to finally obtain a university degree and then turn to journalism. As a tutor of English, he met his wife, the German actress Irene Christ, who with her set up Actinghouse Produc- tions. Julian was irreverent and irreverence is a pastime inside the MaltaToday newsroom. That's what led to him to take on the Price Club investigation to reveal the fraudulent bankruptcy at hand. I must say that 10 years after his death, the baton of Julian's prob- ing journalism has been assuredly passed on to our colleague, James Debono. To those who remember Julian, all of us carry a piece of him in our hearts – we remember him every time we grapple with a new threat to the environment, every time we are to question the powers that be, every time we remind our- selves why we are doing this job. Julian lives. Finch trapping contravenes Birds Directive The Valletta Design Cluster in collaboration with Malta Enterprise and MITA is undertaking a mapping exercise of the design sector in Malta linked to urban design and regeneration. By urban regeneration we understand the integrated local redevelopment of neighbourhoods covering multidisciplinary aspects of city life, including physical, social and environmental dimensions. Professionals, entrepreneurs, and enterprises in the following areas contribute directly to this process: architecture, civil engineering, urban planning and surveying, construction activities including specialised services, landscaping, interior and street furniture design, project management and consultancy, specialised ICT urban management systems, specialised nance and business facilities for urban development, restoration and heritage services, and user-centred design for citizen services. The mapping of the sector is the initial step in a structured eort to improve the international competitiveness of regeneration-led design in Malta. If you or your enterprise operate in these or related areas, let us know by conrming your interest in being included in this mapping exercise on urban.mjcl@gov.mt MAPPING OF URBAN DESIGN SECTOR IN MALTA VALLETTA DESIGN CLUSTER What happens when a member state violates EU law? LETTER OF FORMAL NOTICE EC requests government's comment on non-compliance within two months REASONED OPINION Commission states reason why member state breached EU law REFERRAL TO ECJ Commission opens litigation procedure in Court of Justice, but rarely do things go this far. 85% of cases were resolved before litigation stage. Commission may demand penalties from member state COURT JUDGMENT After average of two years, ECJ decides on breach, and government has to adapt laws and resolve initial dispute. Julian Manduca, ten years later Mifsud, former PL international secretary, made magistrate THE Cabinet has appointed two new judges and two magistrates. The government appointed law- yer Joe Mifsud, a former inter- national secretary of the Labour Party between 2003-2008, as mag- istrate, as well as Labour's deputy mayor for Xewkija, lawyer Monica Vella. Magistrates Giovanni Grixti and Myriam Hayman were appointed to serve as judges in the Superior Courts. Mifsud, 47, graduated in law in 2006 after having worked as a jour- nalist for One News and served as secretary-general of the National Youth Council in 1992, president of Forum Zghazagh Laburisti be- tween 1994 and 1999 and then La- bour international secretary. He has practised in court since 2007 and in 2012 was appointed a commissioner for justice in the local tribunals, and in 2013 chair- man of an appeals board for refu- gees, and chairman for the board of local governance. Vella, 41, has been practising law since 1998, serving as judiciary as- sistant in the superior courts since 2009. She was mayor of Xewkija for Labour for 11 years. New magistrates: Joe Mifsud and Monica Vella