Measure previously reported as ""Designation of terrestrial SPAs and respective management plans"". Relevant updates to the network of terrestrial Special Protection Areas published in 2019. Updates to the conservation objectives and measures are ongoing. Measure re-named as ‘Terrestrial Special Protection Areas and related management processes’ as part of this update to reflect the ongoing processes.

Marine Special Protection Areas were designated as per Government Notice 682 of 2018.

Predator control was continued as part of the Project Arcipelagu Garnija (LIFE14 NAT/MT/991) (end date: 31/08/2020) and EU LIFE PanPuffinus! Project (LIFE NAT/MT/982) by BirdLife Malta.

Notice to Mariners 9 of 2023 (TM/PYD/0001/23) and Notice to Mariner 10 of 2023 (TM/PYD/88/06) were issued as part of the LIFE Arcipelagu Garnija Project.

Updates to the conservation objectives and measures for terrestrial Natura 2000 sites are ongoing. The Conservation Objectives and Measures for Malta's Marine Natura 2000 sites include a measure involving the prioritisation of areas which are subject to light pollution from land-based sources, which areas are to be explored further with respect to retrofitting of light fixtures in collaboration with site owners, subject to funding opportunities . In 2020, the Environment and Resources Authority issued a public consultation document 'Guidelines for the Reduction of Light Pollution in the Maltese Islands'.

Ongoing updates of the conservation objectives and measures for terrestrial Natura 2000 sites.

This is an ongoing measure, with proposals for development being screened and assessed for potential disturbance to seabirds that are within terrestrial Special Protection Areas.

The Conservation Objectives and Measures for Malta's Marine Natura 2000 sites address 'Mitigation of Incidental By-catch' by seeking to improve the understanding of interactions of seabirds with fisheries. Additionally, the use of mitigation measures as per GFCM recommendation GFCM/36/2012/3 on the mitigation of incidental catches of seabirds in the Mediterranean will be promoted as part of the MPA management process. As per Recommendation GFCM/35/2011/3, Malta systematically reports information on incidental catch rates of seabirds in line with Task 3 of the technical manual of the Data Collection Reference Framework, as listed in Annex 1. As per ICCAT Rec 11-09 para 7, Malta sends a report on implementation of seabird mitigation measures and National Plan of Action (NPOA) for seabirds, annually to the EU Commission. This report includes information on the implementation of seabird mitigation measures.

The legislation continues to be strictly enforced with legal action taken against offenders.

Implementation has started by a non-governmental organisation through outreach activities, including the distribution of educational leaflets, organising clean-ups and erecting signboards - organized under Action C.4. of the LIFE Archipelagu Garnija Project (LIFE14 NAT/MT/000991). Awareness raising and provision of guidance targeting reduction of disturbance on marine species from anthropogenic activity are considered ongoing needs that have been/are being addressed under relevant environmental policy processes. Beyond the implementation of the MSFD Programme of Measures (PoMs), awareness raising and guidance are sought through the conservation measures for marine Natura 2000 sites. Such measures envisage the establishment of Codes of Conduct and associated regulation of selected activities to reduce disturbance on seabirds and marine mammals from boating activity and commercial vessels within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). With respect to seabirds, the conservation measures also address land-based sources of light pollution. The MPA management process also includes measures supporting the achievement of favourable conservation status of the habitats and species through implementation at a national scale. One such measure is the development and implementation of a national awareness raising strategy, which can be considered as an overarching measure encompassing all awareness-related measures across policy processes. The updated PoMs acknowledges the need to continue the implementation of the MSFD measures involving awareness/educational campaigns and/or the development of guidance documents/codes of conduct in synergy with management processes under other policy processes, in particular the management regime for Marine Protected Areas. Such approach will ensure harmonisation and effectiveness of awareness raising efforts at a national scale for the purpose of marine biodiversity that is sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance. Within this context, measures M071, M072, M074 and M077 are ongoing and will continue to be implemented through this proposed harmonised approach. For this purpose, awareness raising and best practice guidance will continue to be sought in parallel through elaboration and/or updating of Codes of Conduct and implementation of awareness raising campaigns with the aim of addressing sources of anthropogenic disturbance on seabirds, marine reptiles, marine mammals and other marine species.

In 2020, the Environment and Resources Authority issued a public consultation document 'Guidelines for the Reduction of Light Pollution in the Maltese Islands'. Awareness raising and provision of guidance targeting reduction of disturbance on marine species from anthropogenic activity are considered ongoing needs that have been/are being addressed under relevant environmental policy processes. Beyond the implementation of the MSFD Programme of Measures (PoMs), awareness raising and guidance are sought through the conservation measures for marine Natura 2000 sites. Such measures envisage the establishment of Codes of Conduct and associated regulation of selected activities to reduce disturbance on seabirds and marine mammals from boating activity and commercial vessels within Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). With respect to seabirds, the conservation measures also address land-based sources of light pollution. The MPA management process also includes measures supporting the achievement of favourable conservation status of the habitats and species through implementation at a national scale. One such measure is the development and implementation of a national awareness raising strategy, which can be considered as an overarching measure encompassing all awareness-related measures across policy processes. The updated PoMs acknowledges the need to continue the implementation of the MSFD measures involving awareness/educational campaigns and/or the development of guidance documents/codes of conduct in synergy with management processes under other policy processes, in particular the management regime for Marine Protected Areas. Such approach will ensure harmonisation and effectiveness of awareness raising efforts at a national scale for the purpose of marine biodiversity that is sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance. Within this context, measures MICMTM071_NEW, MICMTM072_NEW, MICMTM074_NEW and MICMTM077_NEW are ongoing and will continue to be implemented through this proposed harmonised approach. For this purpose, awareness raising and best practice guidance will continue to be sought in parallel through elaboration and/or updating of Codes of Conduct and implementation of awareness raising campaigns with the aim of addressing sources of anthropogenic disturbance on seabirds, marine reptiles, marine mammals and other marine species.

Training sessions with fishermen were held by Malta's Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture in collaboration with Birdlife Malta as part of the Life PanPuffinus project. A key component of effective management of pressures from fisheries activity on the marine environment is the active involvement of fishers in management processes. Such approach was adopted by three measures in the first Programme of Measures (MICMTM073_NEW, MICMTM076_NEW and MICMTM078_NEW) which sought improvement of knowledge on the interactions of fisheries with the marine environment in order to enable management of relevant pressures from fishing activity on species groups and benthic habitats. The implementation of these measures as undertaken to date has shown that there is scope for improvement in the involvement of fishers in environmental management processes. There is also the need to harmonise the implementation of the MSFD measures with the conservation measures for marine Natura 2000 sites as adopted in January 2023 (https://era.org.mt/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/MPAs-Conservation-Objectives-and-Measures_final_Feb2023.pdf). The management processes for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) also recognise the need to involve fishers when addressing by-catch for seabirds, marine reptiles and marine mammals. In addition, the Marine Protected Area conservation measures seek the establishment of a committee including representatives of the local fishing community to identify an area where temporal and spatial management of fishing activity will be explored in agreement with fishers. Within this context, while MSFD measures MICMTM073_NEW (by-catch), MICMTM076_NEW (seabed habitats) and MICMTM078_NEW (commercially exploited species) are still deemed applicable and their implementation will be continued, different approaches will be explored to empower fishers and provide greater opportunities for knowledge sharing and direct involvement of fishers in management processes. The implementation of these measures will be sought in parallel with the primary aim of improving participation and involvement by fishers. Management processes will then be followed-up in synergy with the MPA conservation measures on the basis of the fishers’ engagement.

Measure previously reported as ""Continue to strengthen the relationship between environmental and planning regulatory processes (including Marine Strategy Framework Directive concerns)"". For the purpose of this update, this measure will be renamed as “Environmental Permitting System” to ensure alignment with Malta’s third River Basin Management Plan, which at the time of reporting is subject to public consultation. Such measure is wider in scope and will include all necessary action related to the environmental permitting process. Measures MICMT-M047 and MICMT-M048 are being merged into this measure and withdrawn as seperate measures.

The national EIA Regulations were amended in 2020. These amendments allow to consolidate certain aspects of the transposition of the EIA Directive into the EIA process. Other Union legislation which applies to this is SEA Directive 2001/42/EC.