Former AFM officer to head environmental enforcement

● He lacks the credentials, PN insists

Lieutenant Colonel Mario Schembri (retired) has been appointed Director of Compliance and Enforcement, the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) announced yesterday, drawing the ire of the Nationalist Party, which said Schembri lacked the necessary credentials.

The ERA said Schembri, who was chosen after a public call, is specialized in enforcement and security matters. He carried out his academic and career training at local and international civil and military institutions. In 1979 he began his career in enforcement as a Police Officer and reached the rank of Police Inspector a year later.

In 1985 he moved to the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) where during his 27 years of service, he actively took part and led several enforcement operations at sea and on land. During his years at Maritime Squadron he was also actively involved in combatting oil pollution at sea.

“He retired from the AFM in 2011 after being awarded the Long and Efficient Service Medal for the sterling service rendered,” the authority said.

ERA said that, as the main environment regulator it protects the environment through various national and international laws and regulations. “Bridging the gap between such legislation and practice is the end goal of compliance and enforcement actions, and the main challenge for the new Compliance and Enforcement Directorate. In his new function, the Director shall be responsible for monitoring aspects that are regulated by ERA, promoting compliance with requirements, and subsequently even resorting to enforcement where this becomes necessary,” it said.

The remit of the Compliance and Enforcement Directorate spans a number of environmental sectors, such as securing compliance with nature and biodiversity regulations, trade in endangered species and the monitoring of adherence with ERA environmental permits and conditions governing operational activities that have an impact on the environment.

Environment Minister Jose Herrera said this was another important step towards environmental protection. The authority would now have someone focused on enforcement, he said.

PN reaction

Reacting, the Nationalist Party said Schembri had been turned down by the Malta Security Service. In a statement, PN environment spokesperson Jason Azzopardi said Schembri’s failure to get MSS approval meant that he was unfit for the post he now holds. Azzopardi said Schembri had also filed a court case against the MSS decision. In court, he was represented by none other than Jose Herrera. This meant that the minister had hired a former client, the PN MP said.

Azzopardi said the role of environmental enforcement requires authority, legitimacy and competence. The government’s choice was an ‘attack’ on the security service and the courts, he said.

It was also an attack on the ERA, because the government had chosen someone who had no environmental qualifications or experience.