Legislation & Policy

Home Legislation and Policy - In Force Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development

Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development

Background

The Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands approved in 1990 and adopted in 1992, is a 20 year national strategy. Given the socio-economic and environmental changes that have taken place over the past two decades and the current socio-economic context, Government felt that a new type of strategic plan is required to address the spatial issues in the Maltese Islands post 2012.

Articles 51 to 53 of the Environment and Development Planning Act of 2010 (EDPA), which repeals the Development Planning Act of 1992, require the preparation of a Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development (SPED) which should be based on an integrated planning system that regulates the sustainable use and management of land and sea resources. The EDPA promotes a shift in the way strategic planning is carried out in the Maltese Islands, from traditional land use planning to a more holistic spatial planning approach which ensures the integration between socio-economic development and environmental protection. This requires a change in the mindset of both the private and public sectors in addressing Malta’s development and environmental challenges in an integrated manner.

SPED

The SPED is intended to replace the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands of 1990 and provide a strategic spatial policy framework for both the environment and development up to 2020, complimenting Government’s social, economic and environmental objectives direction for the same period.

The new plan shall be based on an integrated planning system which: (i) ensures the sustainable management of land and sea resources together with the protection of the environment; and (ii) guides the development and use of land and sea space. According to the EDPA, the SPED must ensure that:

•   plans, policies and programmes issued under the EDPA are spatial, holistic and comprehensive so that all factors in relation to land and sea resources and related environment conservation are addressed and included and to balance demands for development with socio-economic consideration and the need to protect the environment;
•   sectoral policies, activities and inputs are interpreted and coordinated with each other combining the inputs of all disciplines and groups;
•   all actions are based on clear understanding of the natural and legitimate objectives and needs of individual land users; and
•   it follows other national policies and plans.

The preparation of the SPED is required to give due regard to:

•   the current economic policies affecting development;
•   the current social policies affecting development;
•   the environment policies affecting development;
•   the policies of the Government with respect to the matters set out in sub-article(5) of the EDPA;
•   the resources likely to be available for the implementation of the plan; and
•   all possible land and sea-use options in selecting the best use for a given area of land or sea.

As a national strategic document, the SPED is intended to translate Government’s sectoral policies, plans and programmes in spatial terms and direct socio-economic development of the Maltese Islands in appropriate locations together with the protection of the environment. The SPED is also intended to guide the spatial aspect of new Government plans and policies including those emerging from the EDPA and will form the primary basis for decisions on applications related to environment and development. The implementation of the SPED is aimed to secure a more integrated approach to the management of development and environment protection on land and sea space at a national level.

The SPED will also ensure that the preparation of sectoral plans is in line with the thrust of the Territorial Agenda which has the aim of ensuring implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy according to territorial cohesion principles, where the internalisation of spatial influences is an integral part of sectoral plan formulation. In addition, the SPED is to provide the spatial framework that supports the development of an integrated maritime policy at a national level.

SPED is expected to set out policies directing where economic and social activities can take place within the Maltese Islands up to the 25 nautical miles. The Plan shall be illustrated by diagrams as necessary and is to be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum giving a reasoned justification for each of the policies and proposals contained in the Plan. It is the intention of Government that the SPED will not amend the existing development boundaries as approved by Parliament in 2006 and will cover the marine waters up to the extent of 25 nautical mile limit of the Fisheries Conservation Zone (adopted by Council Regulation EC No. 1967/2006). The spatial coverage of the SPED is illustrated in Map 1 .

Government’s Strategic Objectives

In February 2011, Government initiated the process to prepare the SPED. The first step, which was led by Government, entailed a review of national policy documents, a consultation exercise with Ministries and Government entities and input from the Structure Plan Review process. This resulted in the formulation of Government’s strategic objectives that SPED must address. The document puts forward a spatial structure for the purpose of guiding development and then presents the key issues for the sustainable management of land and sea resources with their respective spatial implications. Finally, the strategic spatial vision and objectives of Government to address these issues are set out.

MEPA has been entrusted with the preparation of SPED in accordance with the provisions of the EDPA, on the basis of Government’s strategic objectives.

The strategic objectives have been published for consultation for a period of 6 weeks, to ensure that the SPED is built on an understanding of the needs by the wider community and the private sector. The consultation document can be downloaded from here .

Comments may be submitted to sped@mepa.org.mt or by post to SPED, Malta Environment and Planning Authority, P.O. Box 200, Marsa GPO01. Submissions will be received until 11th April 2012.

Strategic Environmental Assessment

The SPED intends to set the framework for future development consent and it is one of the plans identified as requiring a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as per Regulation 4(2)(a) of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations (Legal Notice 497 of 2010). As a responsible authority for plan making, MEPA has carried out an SEA screening assessment to determine whether the SPED requires an SEA. As part of this process the Strategic Objectives were also screened to determine the need for an Appropriate Assessment in line with Regulation 19 of the Flora, Fauna and Natural Habitats Protection Regulations (Legal Notice 311 of 2006).The SEA screening document may be downloaded from here .

MEPA intends to carry out an SEA for SPED as per the provisions of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Regulations L.N. 497 of 2010, as published in the Government Gazette.

Any comments on the SEA process for SPED may be submitted to sped-sea@mepa.org.mt.