“I am proud to see the central role played by our country in global trade.” This was said by the Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects Silvio Schembri while he was speaking during the MEDPorts conference, a meeting of the Association of ports in the Mediterranean, which this year was held in Freeport.
During this conference the minister explained everything that is being done so that while we see that Freeport remains a commercially strong port in the Mediterranean and beyond, they do it with the utmost respect for the environment and the residents of the surroundings.
“We have just announced that we will re-open the scheme for double glazing apertures for the residents of Birżebbuġa. The well-advanced shore-to-ship project will enable ships to turn off their engines in port and take power from the shore, thus reducing noise and pollution as well as the decision that Terminal 1, the part closest to the residents, will no longer be used for cranes. All this is leading to a better environment for the surrounding residents,” said the minister.
During this conference, which brought together ports from the Mediterranean, Europe and the Red Sea, Minister Silvio Schembri also spoke about the challenges that this sector is facing including the European Directive on the -emissions. He explained that, “As a country we are working on a study together with the Freeport and major shipping companies on the impact that this directive has on our country, thus this study will strengthen Malta’s position during the negotiations with the European Union.”
Photo: MEEP
