Speaking at a Press Conference in Safi, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson Dr Harry Vassallo made available to the press the correspondence received from EU Environment Commissioner Mr Stavros Dimas and other EU Commission officials in response to complaints made by him regarding the breach of the SEA Directive by the Maltese government by the extension of development boundaries.

"It is clear that the process initiated with the EU Commission leaves the issue open and necessitates the taking of action by Alternattiva Demokratika in our national courts" Dr Vassallo said.

"While the EU Commission investigates the complaint made requesting an explanation of the Maltese government and possibly initiating proceedings against Malta before the European Court of Justice, the situation in Malta which arises because of the violation of the SEA Directive may be prejudiced irreversibly by the issue of development permits and actual construction taking place. This is why we have been constrained to demand the issue of an injunction by the courts ordering MEPA to keep any such permits issued or to be issued in suspension until the matter of the legality or otherwise of the extension of development boundaries is finally decided" Dr Vassallo said.

"In the last minute amendments to local plans made together with the extension of development boundaries, a number of anomalies have been slipped in? Dr Vassallo said. ?Among the last minute changes to local plans there have been apparently minor amendments to planning schemes affecting residents within established developed areas such as Safi and Munxar" Dr Vassallo said.

Saviour Sammut, AD candidate for the Local Council in Hal Safi said that "until very recently every development application for the plot of land in question was refused since it was intended to form part of a public garden. With a change of ownership and a change of the local plan, the government?s commitment to extend the adjacent public garden has been eliminated and a permit has been issued, breaking the word which the government had given to the whole neighbourhood and on which they had been expected to base the significant investments in their homes."

"The residents in this part of Safi have been exposed to the arbitrariness and uncertainty which affect hundreds more whose properties lay on the boundary of development until last July" Dr Harry Vassallo said. "In this case and possibly in many others there is at least a founded suspicion of insider trading which should be dispelled. Did the decision to change the status of the land in question have anything to do with its acquisition by the last buyer? In civilized countries such questions would be cleared up. Thanks to the massive changes in local plans made last July it is virtually impossible to investigate all cases and to be given satisfactory answers" Dr Vassallo said.

Mr.Victor Galea, Secretary General of Alternattiva Demokratika said that "the action taken by Alternattiva Demokratika is not to prevent any changes to local plans but to ensure that all changes are made according to due process of law, with full consultation of the public which is fully informed of all expected impacts by means of reliable studies conducted as required under the SEA Directive?. He said that ?Malta?s membership of the EU should be allowed to give all citizens greater certainty of their rights to be treated equally under the law and not expose them to last minute arbitrary actions by their government".

"All plans and especially those affecting the use of land in Malta must be allowed to provide all citizens with a framework in which they can insert their private and business decisions and activities. While nobody can guarantee absolute certainty, the government must be seen to be making every effort to provide it by conducting its affairs in fair and transparent manner in all cases" Mr. Galea said. "Both bona fide developers and residents should have a right to make their comments and suggestions and be allowed to believe that they have been treated decently and that nobody has been allowed to take unfair advantage" Mr. Galea said.

"When radical changes to a very slow moving planning process are made overnight and concluded even faster, it is natural that suspicions arise. Indeed, this is the best way to persuade ordinary citizens that the government has something to hide? Dr Harry Vassallo said. ?Alternattiva Demokratika is committed to a course which will produce a definition of development boundaries on terms which are clear and accepted by everybody. We are determined that the extensions made by government will be revoked and revised with due process of EU and Maltese law in every corner of the country" Dr Vassallo said. "All citizens, whether resident in Safi or Munxar or anywhere else, must be convinced that the law applies to them equally and fairly, that no matter is too big nor too small to be covered by the law, whether it is the destruction of vast areas of countryside, the curtailment of a public garden or the destruction of a village square by sending an unnecessary road through it" Dr Vassallo said.

Dr. Harry Vassallo concluded that "all those who voted to join the EU in the 2003 referendum wanted a better quality of life for themselves and for their children. They wanted more not less certainty in their lives. They wanted more equality before the law, not less. They wanted effective remedies also against those who are politically and economically powerful. Alternattiva Demokratika is determined to do everything possible for this to be achieved everywhere in Malta and Gozo".