Public Consultation Feedback - Sustainable Innovation Centre at San Luċjan Site

 The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the proposed regeneration of the former San Luċjan oil depot and supports the principle of transforming previously industrial land into environmentally sustainable, publicly accessible space that contributes to community wellbeing.

The MSA emphasises that regeneration should place local communities and quality of life at its centre. Meaningful participation by residents and civil society should continue throughout planning, implementation and subsequent evaluation, rather than being limited to consultation at the planning stage.

Particular importance should be given to genuinely public and accessible green and recreational spaces, sustainable mobility, protection of surrounding agricultural and ecologically sensitive areas, and preservation of the area's cultural and historical character. Commercial and entertainment uses should remain compatible with these objectives and should not result in excessive commercialisation or pressures on neighbouring communities.

The MSA recommends an appropriate Social Impact Assessment (SIA) to assess potential impacts on residents, accessibility, mobility, public space, community wellbeing and different social groups, including possible unintended consequences.

The regeneration of San Luċjan represents an opportunity to demonstrate how the transition from industrial land use can promote environmental justice, community participation and socially sustainable regeneration, particularly in a locality that has historically experienced substantial industrial and environmental pressures.

Public Consultation Feedback: Evaluation of the European Environment Agency & the European Environment Information & Observation Network for 2022-2026

 The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the evaluation of the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Environment Information and Observation Network (Eionet) for 2022–2026 and recognises their important contribution to evidence-informed environmental policymaking.

The MSA recommends strengthening the social dimension of environmental information and monitoring. Environmental change and environmental policies have uneven impacts across different social groups and territories. EEA and Eionet reporting should therefore further integrate social indicators concerning inequality, health, employment, housing, mobility, energy poverty, environmental justice and community wellbeing, where relevant.

Greater integration of the social sciences, including sociology, within environmental research and monitoring would help policymakers understand not only environmental change, but also who is affected, how, and with what social consequences. Particular attention should be given to small island states, peripheral regions and coastal communities, where environmental, economic and social pressures are often closely interconnected.

The MSA also recommends that EEA evidence increasingly support the mainstreaming of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) alongside environmental and economic assessment in EU policymaking. Socially and territorially disaggregated evidence can strengthen SIA by identifying unequal impacts, vulnerable groups and potential unintended consequences.

Strengthening these dimensions would enhance the contribution of the EEA and Eionet to socially just, inclusive and evidence-informed environmental governance across the European Union.

​#PUBLICCONSULTATION Reskilling and upskilling – evaluation of individual learning accounts

 The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the evaluation of the EU Recommendation on Individual Learning Accounts and the importance of reskilling, upskilling and lifelong learning in the context of changing labour markets, including the digital and green transitions.

The MSA recommends that the evaluation explicitly incorporate Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and a social rights perspective. Access to lifelong learning should not depend solely on the formal availability of individual learning entitlements. Effective participation is also shaped by income, employment conditions, educational background, caring responsibilities, disability, digital access and the availability of time for training.

Particular attention should therefore be given to whether Individual Learning Accounts are reaching people who may experience greater barriers to lifelong learning, including low-paid and precarious workers, unemployed persons, workers in small enterprises, people with lower qualifications and persons with caring responsibilities.

The MSA recommends evaluating Individual Learning Accounts not only according to participation and employment outcomes, but also according to their contribution to reducing social inequalities and strengthening substantive access to lifelong learning. Supporting measures such as paid training leave, accessible guidance, recognition of prior learning and targeted outreach should form part of this approach.

Reskilling and upskilling should ultimately be understood not simply as individual responsibilities to adapt to labour-market change, but as part of a broader commitment to social rights, inclusion and decent work.

#PUBLICCONSULTATION - Packaging and packaging waste – rules on national registers of producers

 The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) supports effective and harmonised national registers of packaging producers as an important mechanism for strengthening Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

Producer responsibility should remain central to EU packaging policy. The environmental and social costs associated with packaging waste should not be disproportionately transferred to consumers, communities or public authorities. Producers placing packaging on the market should bear appropriate responsibility for its environmental impacts, including its collection, recovery and end-of-life management.

Registers should therefore enable effective monitoring and enforcement, while ensuring transparency and accountability regarding producer obligations. Harmonisation across Member States can also reduce unnecessary administrative complexity without weakening environmental standards or producer responsibilities.

The MSA encourages the EU to apply the polluter-pays principle consistently and to ensure that producer responsibility contributes to waste prevention, circularity and more sustainable patterns of production and consumption.

#PUBLICCONSULTATION - EU Sustainable fishing in the EU: state of play and orientations for 2027

 The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's orientations for sustainable fishing in 2027 and emphasises that fisheries sustainability should integrate environmental, social and economic dimensions.

Particular attention should be given to small-scale and artisanal fishers and coastal communities, including in small island states such as Malta. Small-scale fisheries contribute to livelihoods, local economies, food systems, maritime heritage and community identity. Their long-term viability should therefore be supported, including through decent working conditions, generational renewal and meaningful participation in fisheries governance.

At the same time, fisheries policy should address the environmental and social consequences of unsustainable and intensive industrial fishing practices. Depletion of fish stocks and degradation of marine ecosystems ultimately threaten fishing livelihoods themselves and can disproportionately affect smaller operators and coastal communities.

The MSA recommends that decisions on fishing opportunities consider their distributional and social impacts, alongside the best available ecological and economic evidence. Social Impact Assessment and participatory research can contribute where appropriate by identifying impacts on livelihoods, communities and different categories of fishers.

Sustainable fisheries governance should ultimately protect marine ecosystems while ensuring social justice, decent livelihoods and resilient coastal communities for present and future generations.

Press Release - Malta Sociological Association's Perspective on the Malta Budget 2027

 The Malta Sociological Association notes the measures announced in the Malta Budget 2027.

From a sociological perspective, the MSA considers it important to undertake Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) of the announced measures. A Social Impact Assessment is a systematic process of identifying, analysing and monitoring the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of policies and other planned interventions. It examines how such measures may affect social inequality, social mobility, employment conditions, housing access, family life, social inclusion, community cohesion and quality of life. In this regard, particular attention should be given to the distribution of social impacts across different socio-economic groups and generations, as well as their potential implications..

The MSA emphasises the importance of examining not only the anticipated outcomes of budgetary measures, but also their potential unintended consequences, which may emerge over time. Such an approach contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the broader social implications of public policy.

In this regard, the MSA encourages the systematic integration of Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) into the policy cycle, encompassing the design, implementation and evaluation of significant budgetary measures. These assessments can provide an evidence-based understanding of the potential social effects of policy interventions, support informed public discourse and assist policymakers in considering the diverse impacts of their decisions across different strata of society

The Malta Sociology Conference Programme is Out! Register Now!

 📢 The Malta Sociology Conference 2026 is just around the corner! 🎉

📍 Venue: Birdlife's Salina Visitor Centre at Salina Nature Reserve, Malta

🤝 Sponsored by: APS Bank

🌍 Theme: Sustainability and Society

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