No capping on fuel station licences, committee told

There is no capping on the number of fuel station licences that can be issued, Parliament’s Environment and Development Planning Committee heard today. This was confirmed by CEO of the Regulator of Water and Energy Marjohn Abela.

Parliament’s Environment and Development Planning Committee was discussing the policy after a request was made by Partit Demokratiku MPs Godfrey and Marlene Farrugia.

The issue regarding the number of fuel stations on the islands has been widely debated recently, and some controversial applications have made headlines, some of which were published by this newsroom.

Addressing the committee this evening, Abela said that the directive was one in line with EU directives, and “like other services, you cannot have a quota.”

When asked by MP Godfrey Farrugia what would happen to fuel stations with regard to the goal of having electric cars by 2040, Abela said he believed they would be “phased out accordingly.”

Also present for the committee meeting was Environment and Resources Authority director Michelle Piccinino, who expressed the authority’s stand on changing the policy.

“Our position is clear,” she said. “We object to development on ODZ land. We accept that they are in areas which are already impacted by certain development, but not in places which are agricultural. We have held this view constantly and have always objected.”

Eight applications to relocate from core areas to Outside Development Zones are currently pending.

Revision of the policy is expected to last around two months.

“Ideally it should not be so easy to get the go-ahead,” said Environment Minister Jose Herrera, who was part of the committee, and who agreed that arrangements in the current policy should be seen to.”

Planning Authority executive chairman Johann Buttigieg also addressed the committee.