‘No compromise, withdraw the Bills’ – ENGOs up in arms on development

NGOs staged a press briefing in front of Parliament on Monday, calling for the immediate withdrawal of both Bills that the Prime Minister said would “reform” development planning.

The environmental organisations called it out, declaring there must be no compromise because this was nothing more than an exercise in limiting citizens’ rights to object and appeal to irregular development.

The two Bills, presented just before Parliament’s closure for the summer, were tabled without any discussion with stakeholders. And it was immediately met with resistance.

The Bills essentially empower the Planning Authority and its Minister – Clint Camilleri – to bypass planning laws, and remove the Court’s power to rein in abuse.

Significant concern was raised over provisions that prevent the Courts from revoking planning permits during an appeal—effectively stripping the courts of their constitutional oversight.

According to the proposed reforms, the Planning Authority’s tribunal decisions would be final in their findings, and any annulled decisions could only be reheard by the tribunal—appointed by the government.

NGO spokespersons were unanimous in describing this as an act of sheer audacity—a systematic effort to remove judicial checks and let the Planning Authority or ministerial actors override court rulings as they see fit.

Under the new regime, appeals would be strictly limited to issues raised in the objection phase, subject to shortened timeframes (20 days instead of 30) and steep fines—up to €5,000—for “vexatious” or frivolous appeals.

NGOs warned that such restrictions are designed to silence citizens, making appeals practically unworkable unless prepared by paid professionals in advance, which most would not even afford.

The organisations accused the government of catering to developers—“sharks” – who already occupy public land illegally or benefited from lax enforcement, often for nominal fees or without scrutiny.

The reforms were seen as a direct response to those who have flouted planning laws, now being rewarded through mechanisms like retrospective regularisation and reinstating lapsing permits via ministerial intervention.

As one NGO put it: these changes amount to a “developer’s wish list”—a sweeping dismantling of Malta’s planning laws and citizen rights.

Even within the ruling Labour Party, discontent is brewing. Former Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has publicly called for broad consultation before these laws are passed, and PL President Alex Sciberras echoed that sentiment, urging for public dialogue instead of fast-tracked reforms decided behind closed doors. Despite this, the government has shown no sign of retreat.

The organisations participating in Monday’s protest included Moviment Graffitti, Ramblers Association, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, and Birdlife, among others.