Public Consultation Feedback: The First Update of Malta's National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP)

The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the First Update of Malta's National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) as an important contribution towards improving environmental quality and public health.

The MSA recommends that the implementation and future revisions of the Programme explicitly mainstream Social Impact Assessment (SIA) alongside environmental and economic considerations. Air pollution is not only an environmental issue but also a social one, with unequal impacts across different population groups, particularly children, older persons, people with chronic health conditions, lower-income households, and communities exposed to higher levels of pollution.

The MSA also encourages the Programme to adopt a stronger social rights perspective, recognising clean air as an essential component of health, well-being, and quality of life. Policies aimed at reducing emissions should be designed to maximise social benefits while ensuring that the costs and benefits of the transition are distributed fairly across society.

Embedding SIA within the NAPCP would strengthen evidence-informed policymaking by identifying potential social impacts, supporting meaningful stakeholder participation, and promoting more equitable and socially sustainable environmental policies. Such an approach would contribute to a healthier, more resilient, and more inclusive Malta.

Summer Social Event - Friday 21 August 2026

  📅 Date: Friday 21st August 2026

🕢 Time: 7:30 PM
📍 Location: Balzunetta Restaurant, Floriana

This event is open to all MSA members, and you're more than welcome to bring along your family and friends.

Enjoy a delicious meal as we unwind and catch up before the summer ends! 

The menu can be accessed through this link: https://balzunetta.mt/food-menu/

📝 RSVP by Monday 17th August

Secure your spot by filling in the RSVP form: https://forms.gle/RiQKEsGSJfBkJwV46

The Malta Sociology Conference 2026 - Early Bird Registration is now open. Register Now!

 The Malta Sociological Association will be organising the Malta Sociology Conference 2026 on Saturday 7 November morning at the Salina Visitor Centre. 

The theme of this year's conference, which is sponsored by APS Bank, is Sustainability and Society. The Early Bird Registration is Now Open!

To register:

Early Bird fees: Free for members; 30 Euro for non-members Valid until: 31st August 2026.  

Conference fees after 31st August: 15 Euro for members; 35 Euro for non-members

To join or renew your membership with the MSA click here

To register for the conference click here 

MSA Newsletter vol. 4 no 2

 

MSA Public Consultation Feedback: Citizens Omnibus Initiative – reducing administrative burdens

 The Malta Sociological Association (MSA) notes the European Commission's initiative to identify opportunities for simplification, better implementation, and the reduction of unnecessary administrative burdens affecting citizens.

The MSA emphasizes that efforts to streamline legislation and public administration should be informed by robust Social Impact Assessment (SIA). Administrative simplification can have significant social consequences, both intended and unintended, particularly for vulnerable groups, social inclusion, access to services, participation, and social cohesion.

We therefore recommend the mainstreaming of Social Impact Assessment across relevant EU policy-making processes, in line with internationally recognised guidance such as the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) principles and guidelines. Where the Commission identifies the need for further impact assessment in relation to this initiative, such assessment should explicitly include a Social Impact Assessment component, ensuring that proposed measures are evaluated not only in terms of efficiency and administrative burden reduction, but also in terms of their effects on citizens, communities, social equity, and quality of life.

A stronger social dimension in impact assessment would contribute to evidence-based, citizen-centred policy making and help ensure that simplification measures deliver tangible benefits while safeguarding social wellbeing across the European Union.

Malta Sociological Association – Feedback on the National Agricultural Policy 2027–2037

The Malta Sociological Association welcomes the development of a long-term National Agricultural Policy for 2027–2037, particularly its focus on sustainability, resilience, food security, agricultural land protection, generational renewal, and governance. The policy rightly recognises that agriculture is not only an economic activity but also a social, cultural, and environmental asset.

The Association recommends the mainstreaming of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) throughout the policy cycle, including policy design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Agricultural policies have significant implications for rural communities, farmers' livelihoods, food security, social inclusion, intergenerational equity, community wellbeing, and quality of life. Systematic assessment of such impacts can help identify intended and unintended consequences, strengthen stakeholder participation, and support more evidence-based and sustainable decision-making.

The Association therefore proposes that social impacts be considered alongside economic and environmental considerations in future agricultural legislation, programmes, support schemes, and governance mechanisms arising from this policy. Such an approach would contribute to a more holistic and sustainable agricultural sector for Malta.

 The Malta Sociological Association welcomes the Gozo Climate Neutral Plan and its recognition of the importance of governance, coordination, accountability, and long-term planning in achieving climate neutrality.

The Association particularly notes the proposed Governance framework, including the establishment of a Carbon Control Committee tasked with monitoring emissions and assisting implementation. While these measures are important, the Malta Sociological Association believes that governance processes should also systematically integrate the analysis of social impacts arising from climate transition measures.

Climate neutrality policies have important social dimensions relating to quality of life, mobility, accessibility, affordability, employment, tourism, community well-being, social inequalities, and everyday practices. Measures concerning transport, land use, energy, waste, and tourism may generate both intended and unintended social consequences for different communities and social groups in Gozo.

The Malta Sociological Association therefore recommends that Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and ongoing social impact monitoring are mainstreamed within the governance structure of the Plan. This should include:

• the assessment of social impacts of proposed measures prior to implementation;

• ongoing monitoring of social outcomes during implementation;

• meaningful stakeholder and community participation;

• attention to social justice, inclusion, and equity in climate transition processes.

The Association believes that integrating social impact analysis into governance structures would strengthen evidence-based policymaking and contribute towards a more socially sustainable and inclusive climate transition for Gozo.