An urgent appeal has been made at the European Parliament for action on sewage outflows affecting Malta’s seas, with concerns raised over repeated summer pollution and beach closures.

The discussion followed a petition presented by Benjamin Mifsud Scicluna on behalf of Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, highlighting ongoing failures in wastewater management that are leading to sewage discharge into coastal waters.

During his intervention, MEP Peter Agius warned that Malta joined the EU in pursuit of higher standards, yet environmental rules are now being breached due to what he described as negligence and poor planning.

He stressed that laws are meaningless if they do not translate into real rights, pointing out that Maltese citizens have a fundamental right to a clean and safe sea, but are increasingly encountering polluted waters and closed bathing sites.

Agius also referred to findings acknowledged at European level, including confirmed sewage discharge from areas such as Mellieħa and Żabbar, noting that the issue is impacting thousands of people who rely on the sea for recreation, wellbeing and livelihoods.

Separately, Agius also shared a video on Facebook showing what he described as sewage being pumped into the sea just metres away from Ras il-Ħobż in Gozo, calling the situation “shameful”.

He said the footage, which was presented at the European Parliament by residents behind the petition, shows what is being discharged into Malta and Gozo’s seas, stressing that he will continue giving a voice to thousands of Maltese calling for cleaner waters.

He warned that despite years of legal obligations, the situation has remained largely unchanged, with reports indicating that polluted seawater has persisted for over a decade. Continued inaction, he said, risks undermining trust in European institutions.

Calling for concrete steps, Agius urged the European Commission to move beyond discussion and enforce existing rules, including direct communication with Maltese authorities and formal follow up within the European Parliament.

Meanwhile, the European Commission confirmed that recent seawater readings in Malta still show breaches of EU rules, adding that further action is being considered to ensure cleaner seas.

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