WasteServ refutes ongoing false claims by MEP Peter Agius
The opinion published today by Illum by MEP Peter Agius, entitled ‘L-Ewropa qammiela għax ma tridx tħallas inċineratur’ is false, inaccurate and misleading.
At no point during a public information meeting held by Naxxar Local Council and WasteServ on 24 September 2025 did WasteServ CEO Richard Bilocca say that the European Union is a miser (qammiela). Aguis’s claim to the contrary is entirely false.
Not only was this statement not made, but when it comes to funding, the WasteServ CEO said exactly the opposite – showing how EU funds were and will continue to be crucial in the development of Malta’s waste management infrastructure.
This can be independently verified from the recording of the meeting, at which Mr Agius was not even present, during which CEO Richard Bilocca explained how WasteServ has used EU funds since Malta joined the European Union.
Mr Bilocca explained how the plant at Sant’Antnin plant was EU-funded, the Magħtab landfill rehabilitation and gas processing system was EU-funded, the rehabilitation of the Qortin and Wied Fulija landfills were EU-funded, the new recycling plant in Magħtab was EU-funded, the glass processing plant was EU-funded, and the Multi-Material Recovery Facility that processes waste such as wood and mattresses was EU-funded.
The CEO also explained how EU funds follow budgets and how, in the current budget period, WasteServ will once again be one of the top beneficiaries, as it will receive €45 million for a new organic processing plant and funds also for a new skip management facility.
On the organic processing plant, it was also stated that the EU consultants opposed the funding of a canopy intended as a visual amenity measure, and that this minor component would be covered by national funds.
The WasteServ CEO’s clear message was that EU Funding has been central in the development of waste management infrastructure since 2004, and will continue to be so with WasteServ being one of the largest beneficiaries at the national level.
The Opinion by Peter Agius also contains a number of other false assertions, and on this, WasteServ will seek the appropriate remedies with the newspaper that published such claims.
It is deplorable that an MEP resorts to misinformation on such an important topic.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Peter Agius has lied. On 2 May 2025, after the then public hearing on the thermal treatment facility, he stated that the incinerator will burn 400 tonnes of waste per day. This is when the thermal treatment facility will only process a maximum of 38 tonnes per day. He had later changed his claim to 400 bags per day.
He also spread a range of other false claims concerning public health, which are completely untrue and have been addressed separately in targeted fact sheets issued by WasteServ.
Although WasteServ does not engage in political discourse, it is duty-bound to present the facts to the general public, especially when false claims are made with the intention of causing alarm.
WasteServ is working tirelessly to reverse the negative impacts of years of landfilling. It has managed to reduce landfilling from over 90% to 73% in the last three years; however, to reach the target of 10% the infrastructure – which MEP Peter Agius is spreading false information about – is essential.
WasteServ is determined to offer a better environmental future, one that does not depend on landfilling, and it will continue working with the Naxxar Local Council so that residents have access to all the facts.
