‘Environmental protection and protecting patients are equally essential’ – Minister Miriam Dalli
Malta presented a statement to be included in the minutes of the EU Environment Council as EU environment ministers discussed a general approach to a proposal to revise the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive ahead of talks amongst the European institutions.
While supporting the objectives of the directive, Malta raised concern over the impact that an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on pharmaceuticals might have on the end users: patients.
In Luxembourg, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli maintained that, while understanding the reasoning behind an EPR scheme, all safeguards must be in place to ensure that patients are not negatively impacted.
“Environmental protection is essential, but so is the need to protect our patients and ensure their health,” Minister Dalli stated.
As an island state with extremely limited sources of fresh water, Malta supports the objectives of the Directive, which aim to limit antibiotics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics that end up in wastewater, but expressed its reservations to ensure that patient protection is properly addressed.
“I am sure that this is an issue that applies to patients anywhere in the EU, but for an island member state like Malta, this issue is further amplified by an additional key issue – that of accessibility to critical medicines,” Dalli said.
“We always say we need a just transition where no one is left behind. This is one of those cases. Our environmental ambitions cannot come at a negative social cost for the most vulnerable in our Member States,” continued Minister Dalli.
Miriam Dalli reiterated that during negotiations with the European Parliament, it is imperative that patients and their needs remain at the centre of the discussion.
The Malta position was echoed by the Spanish Presidency, which, in reaction to the minister’s intervention, said that the issue of patients and access to medicines was an important concern. The Presidency said that access to medicine needs to be protected, even in specific and different situations.
Malta titlob lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea biex tiżgura li l-prezzijiet tal-mediċini ma jiġux affettwati b’mod negattiv b’riżultat tal-Urban Wastewater Directive
‘Il-ħarsien tal-ambjent u l-ħarsien tal-pazjenti huma importanti indaqs’ – il-Ministru Miriam Dalli
Malta ppreżentat dikjarazzjoni biex tkun inkluża fil-minuti tal-Kunsill Ewropew għall-Ambjent hekk kif il-ministri tal-ambjent iddiskutew approċċ ġenerali dwar proposta biex tiġi riveduta d-Direttiva dwar l-Urban Wastewater, qabel taħditiet bejn l-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej.
Filwaqt li appoġġat l-għanijiet tad-direttiva, Malta qajmet tħassib dwar l-impatt li jista’ jkollha l-Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) għall-farmaċewtiċi fuq il-konsumatur aħħari: il-pazjenti.
F’Lussemburgu, il-Ministru għall-Ambjent Miriam Dalli sostniet li filwaqt li wieħed jifhem ir-raġunament wara l-iskema EPR, irid ikun hemm is-salvagwardji kollha biex il-pazjenti ma jiġux affettwati b’mod negattiv.
“Il-ħarsien tal-ambjent huwa essenzjali daqs kemm hu essenzjali li nipproteġu lill-pazjenti tagħna u niżguraw saħħithom,” qalet il-Ministru Dalli.
Bħala gżira b’sorsi estremament limitati ta’ ilma ħelu, Malta tappoġġja l-għanijiet tad-direttiva. Id-direttiva għandha l-għan li tillimita l-antibijotiċi, il-pestiċidi, il-farmaċewtiċi u l-mikroplastiks li jispiċċaw fid-drenaġġ. Iżda Malta esprimiet ir-riżervi tagħha, biex tiżgura li l-protezzjoni tal-pazjent tkun qed tiġi indirizzata kif suppost.
“Bla dubju li din hija kwistjoni li tapplika għall-pazjenti kullimkien fl-Unjoni Ewropea, iżda għal Stat Membru bħal Malta din il-kwistjoni tkompli tiġi amplifikata bi kwistjoni ewlenija addizzjonali – dik tal-aċċessibilità għal mediċini kritiċi,” qalet Dalli.
“Dejjem ngħidu li għandna bżonn tranżizzjoni ġusta fejn ħadd ma jitħalla lura. Dan huwa wieħed minn dawk il-każijiet. L-ambizzjonijiet ambjentali tagħna ma jistgħux jiġu bi spiża soċjali negattiva għal dawk l-aktar vulnerabbli fl-Istati Membri tagħna,” kompliet il-Ministru.
Miriam Dalli tenniet li waqt in-negozjati li se jkun hemm mal-Parlament Ewropew, huwa importanti li l-pazjenti u l-ħtiġijiet tagħhom jibqgħu fiċ-ċentru tad-diskussjoni.
Il-pożizzjoni ta’ Malta sabet l-appoġġ tal-Presidenza Spanjola, li b’reazzjoni għall-intervent tal-Ministru Dalli qablet li l-kwistjoni tal-pazjenti u l-aċċessibilità għall-mediċini kienu punti importanti, b’mod speċjali li l-aċċessibilità tkun dejjem protetta anke f’sitwazzjonijiet speċifiċi u differenti.