Maltese version below
Government’s secret decision to shift European Union funds from electrification of public buses to private cars has not been communicated with or approved by the European Commission. Environmental NGOs Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti and Rota encourage people to speak up and sign the parliamentary petition to demand a democratic discussion on this proposed shift of public funding from public to private transport.
In December 2024, news was shared about the government’s secret decision to ditch plans to use EU funding to electrify part of the public transport fleet. Instead, they propose to use these funds to continue providing subsidies for purchasing private electric cars, even though the approved funding plans already includes a budget of €60 million for the purchase of zero-emission electric vehicles for the public and private sector. The electrification of buses was one of the measures under the approved Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) Plan proposed by Malta and accepted by the European Commission. The RRF funds were made available by the European Commission to help EU economies emerge stronger and more resilient from the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and promote the green transition.
As NGOs Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti and Rota, we are deeply concerned about this proposed change in use of funding. The scope, aims and impact of the two measures are not the same. Electrifying the bus fleet is an investment in public transport that benefits the entire country and its citizens. It would impact wider communities and reduce the gap in mobility, social and environmental inequalities. The modern electric buses would replace older Euro 5 Diesel buses, and would remain part of the public transport fleet, even if the current operator would not win the next tender procedure. The funding would upgrade our public transport system, by improving the service or could even be used to make a start with a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system. On the other hand, the subsidies for private electric cars are mainly benefitting people who are better off, causing further inequalities, and further incentivising private car purchasing and use. Malta already has severe problems with car dependence, take up of public space, traffic and parking issues, and road accidents. Furthermore, 60 more cars are being added to the road each day. This has been recognized as well by the European Commission itself. Recently, during the Recovery and Resilience Plan Annual Event held in November 2024 in Valletta, Maria Teresa Fabregas, Director of Recovery and Resilience at the European Commission, stressed that Malta’s car dependence is extremely worrying and is jeopardising Malta’s ability to reach its climate targets, as the country’s carbon emissions are growing instead of being reduced.
Malta’s RRF plan was drafted following a public consultation process and lengthy negotiations with the European Commission. Despite information shared in the news article claiming there was “correspondence with the European Commission” about the proposed change in use of funding, in December 2024, the European Commission Representation in Malta stated that Malta had not yet submitted an amendment request to the European Commission. Amendments to the Recovery and Resilience Plans are governed by Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2021/241, requiring the Member State to submit a formal request with an argument that relevant milestones and targets are no longer achievable. The Commission will then take a decision: for approval, if they consider the reasons put forward by the Member State are justified; or rejection, if they consider that the reasons put forward are not justified. There is a clear procedure for making changes to the proposed use of the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds; this is not something that a Member State can just decide to change on a whim, in secret.
We are left wondering about the true intentions of this proposed change in funding. Is this truly serving the country and its residents, or is it the result of strong lobbying by the car importing industry? We invite citizens and residents of Malta to sign this parliamentary petition to demand reverting this decision, to ensure that public funds are spent on public transport, and that the use of EU funds is governed in a transparent way, with opportunity for citizen participation, and benefitting all citizens and residents of Malta.
Sign the petition here: https://parlament.mt/en/petition?id=253
Stqarrija għall-Istampa: Agħtu Prijorità lit-Trasport Pubbliku, Mhux Sussidji għall-Karozzi Privati!
Id-deċiżjoni bil-moħbi tal-Gvern li jċaqlaq il-fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea mill-elettrifikazzjoni tal-karozzi tal-linja pubbliċi għall-karozzi privati ma kinitx ikkomunikata jew approvata mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea. L-NGOs ambjentali Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti u Rota jħeġġu lin-nies jgħollu leħinhom u jiffirmaw il-petizzjoni parlamentari biex jitolbu diskussjoni demokratika fuq iċ-ċaqliq propost tal-fondi pubbliċi mit-trasport pubbliku għal dak privat.
F’Diċembru tal-2024, ħarġet l-aħbar tad-deċiżjoni sigrieta tal-gvern li jwarrab il-pjanijiet tiegħu li juża l-fondi tal-UE biex tiġi elettrifikata parti mill-flotta tat-trasport pubbliku. Minflok, qed jipproponu li jużaw il-fondi biex ikomplu jipprovdu sussidji għax-xiri tal-karozzi elettriċi privati. Dan minkejja li l-pjanijiet tal-fondi approvati diġa jinkludu baġit ta’ €60 miljun għax-xiri ta’ vetturi elettriċi b’emissjonijiet żero għas-settur pubbliku u dak privat. L-elettrifikazzjoni tal-karozzi tal-linja hija waħda mill-miżuri proposta minn Malta u aċċetata mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea taħt il-pjan approvat tal-Faċilità għall-Irkupru u r-Reżiljenza (RRF). Il-fondi tal-RRF tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea huma maħsuba biex jgħinu l-ekonomiji tal-UE jissaħħu u jsiru iktar reżiljenti wara l-kriżi tal-pandemija tal-COVID-19, u biex jippromwovu t-tranżiżżjoni ekoloġika.
Bħala NGOs Friends of the Earth Malta, Moviment Graffitti u Rota jinsabu mħassba sew dwar it-tibdil propost fl-użu tal-finanzjament. L-iskop, l-għanijiet, u l-impatt taż-żewġ miżuri mhumiex l-istess. L-elettrifikazzjoni tal-flotta tal-karozzi tal-linja hija investiment f’trasport pubbliku li jibbenifika ‘l-pajjiż u liċ-ċittadini kollha. Din il-miżura għandha impatt fuq il-komunitajiet u tnaqqas d-diskrepanza fl-inugwaljanzi soċjali, ambjentali u tal-mobilità. Il-karozzi tal-linja moderni u elettriċi jistgħu jieħdu post il-karozzi tal-linja iktar antiki tad-Diesel tat-tip Euro 5, u jibqgħu parti mill-flotta tat-trasport pubbliku anke jekk l-operatur ta’ bħalissa ma jirbaħx it-tender li jmiss. Dan il-finanzjament jista’ jsaħħaħ is-sistema tat-trasport pubbliku tagħna, billi jtejjeb is-servizz jew saħansitra billi tinbeda sistema ta’ Trasport Rapidu tal-Linja (BRT). Min-naħa l-oħra, is-sussidji tal-karozzi elettriċi privati jibbenifikaw l-iktar lill-individwi iktar sinjuri, u b’hekk jikkawżaw iżjed inugwaljanzi, u jkompli jinċentivaw ix-xiri u l-użu tal-karozzi privati. Malta diġa għandha problemi severi bid-dipendenza fuq il-karozza, l-użu tal-ispazju pubbliku, it-traffiku u l-problemi ta’ parkeġġ, u l-inċidenti fit-toroq. Barra minn hekk, kuljum qed jiżdiedu 60 karozza fit-toroq Maltin. Din il-problema ġiet rikonoxxuta wkoll mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea. Riċentament, matul l-Avveniment Annwali tal-Pjan tal-Faċilità għall-Irkupru u r-Reżiljenza, organizzata f’Novembru tal-2024 il-Belt Valletta, Maria Teresa Fabregas, id-Direttur għall-Irkupru u r-Reżiljenza tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea, saħqet li d-dipendenza fuq il-karozza f’Malta hija inkwetanti ħafna u qed ixxekkel l-abilità ta’ Malta li tilħaq il-miri tal-klima, peress li l-emissjonijiet tal-karbonju tal-pajjiż qed jiżdiedu minflok jonqsu.
Il-pjan RRF ta’ Malta tfassal wara proċess ta’ konsultazzjoni pubblika u negozjati twal mal-Kummissjoni Ewropea. Minkejja l-informazzjoni mħabbra fl-artiklu tal-aħbarijiet li sostna li kien hemm “korrispondenza mal-Kummissjoni Ewropea” fuq it-tibdil propost fl-użu tal-finanzjament, f’Diċembru tal-2024, ir-Rappreżentanza tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea f’Malta ddikjarat li Malta kienet għadha ma ressqitx talba għal emenda lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea. L-emendi għall-Pjanijiet ta’ Rkupru u Reżiljenza huma rregolati mill-Artiklu 21 tar-Regolament (UE) 2021/241, li jirrikjedi li l-Istati Membri jissottomettu talba formali b’argument li t-tragwardi u l-miri relevanti m’għadhomx jistgħu jintlaħqu. Il-Kummissjoni imbagħad tiddeċiedi: approvazzjoni, jekk tara li r-raġunijiet imressqa mill-Istat Membru huma ġustifikati; jew rifjut, jekk tara li r-raġunijiet imressqa mhumiex ġustifikati. Hemm proċedura ċara biex isiru bidliet fl-użu propost tal-fondi tal-Faċilità għall-Irkupru u r-Reżiljenza; din mhix xi ħaġa li Stat Membru jista’ jaqbad u jiddeċiedi b’mod sigriet.
Nibqgħu mħassba dwar l-intenzjonijiet veri ta’ din il-bidla proposta fil-finanzjament. Dan verament qed iservi lill-pajjiż u lir-residenti tiegħu, jew huwa r-riżultat ta’ lobbying qawwi mill-industrija li timporta l-karozzi? Aħna nistiednu liċ-ċittadini u r-residenti ta’ Malta biex jiffirmaw din il-petizzjoni parlamentari biex jitolbu li din id-deċiżjoni titreġġa lura, biex jiġi żgurat li l-fondi pubbliċi jintefqu fuq it-trasport pubbliku, u li l-użu tal-fondi tal-UE jkun irregolat b’mod trasparenti, b’opportunità għall-parteċipazzjoni taċ-ċittadini, u ta’ benefiċċju għaċ-ċittadini u r-residenti kollha ta’ Malta.
Iffirma l-petizzjoni hawn: https://parlament.mt/en/petition?id=253