Il-pontijiet ta’ Tonio Borg

 

Il-proċess li bih il-Parlament Ewropew eżamina n-nomina ta’ Tonio Borg kienet opportunita li tikkuntrasta l-politika ta’ gonzipn ma dik Ewropeja.

Il-politika ta’ gonzipn hi wahda ta’ konfront. Dik Ewropeja hi waħda ibbazata fuq il-kunsens.

Gonzipn jippretendi li hu jiddeċiedi u ħaddieħor ibaxxi rasu u jappoġġah. Meta jiddeċiedi jiġi jaqa’ u jqum x’jaħseb ħaddieħor.

Meta sar ir-referendum dwar id-dħul ta’ Malta fl-Unjoni Ewropeja il-PN ġustament stenna li l-Labour ibaxxi rasu għall-verdett popolari. Il-Labour dan m’għamlux u l-PN baqa’ jfakkru f’dan id-deficit demokratiku repetutament. U għamel sewwa.

Imma l-PN mhux veru jemmen dak li qal għax meta ġie r-referendum dwar id-divorzju kien diffiċli għalih li jaċċetta r-riżultat. Ma riedx ibaxxi rasu għall-volonta’ popolari.

Tonio Borg kien wieħed mill-Membri Parlamentari li minkejja r-riżultat popolari baqa’ sa l-aħħar jisfida l-verdett popolari. Kif jista’ għalhekk jitwemmen meta jgħid u jiddikjara li ma jħallix it-twemmin tiegħu ixekklu fil-qadi ta’ dmirijietu bħala Kummissarju?   Fil-każ tad-divorzju hekk għamel: mexxa skond dak li jemmen u mhux skond ir-rieda popolari.

Issa qed iwiegħed bil-maqlub.

Meta tqis kemm domna nisimgħu prietki dwar kif kellu l-obbligu li jimxi skond il-kuxjenza u mhux skond dak li iddeċieda r-referendum bil-fors jidħlu dubji serji dwar kif ser jaġixxi bħala Kummissarju.

Għalhekk il-Parlament Ewropew talab dik id-dikjarazzjoni umiljanti, għax dak li qal xorta ħalla d-dubji. Il-kliem meqjus fi tlett siegħat hearing ma ħassrux l-impatt ta’ snin ta’ ħidma politika.

Fid-dawl ta’ dan forsi issa huwa ċar iktar minn qabel li kien ikun ħafna aħjar li l-kandidat Malti għal Kummissarju Ewropew kien wieħed li dwaru kien hemm kunsens bejn il-forzi politiċi kollha. Il-fatt li intagħżel kandidat li dwaru ma kienx hemm kunsens wassal għal trattament umiljanti li seta kien evitat b’kandidat idoneju.

Issa li ġie approvat minkejja vot qawwi kontra tiegħu Tonio Borg għandu l-obbligu li jassigura li l-ħidma tiegħu tkun waħda li tħares il-valuri Ewropej u in partikolari d-drittijiet tal-minoranzi.

Id-dikjarazzjoni li Tonio Borg għamel wara l-elezzjoni li fi ħsiebu jibni l-pontijiet ma dawk li vvutaw kontra tiegħu hu sinjal pożittiv. Nittama li jirnexxilu.

Tonio Borg : lejlet il-vot

Il-Parlament Ewropew għada jivvota dwar jekk in-nomina mill-Gvern Malti ta’ Tonio Borg bħala Kummissarju Ewropew hiex waħda aċċettabbli.

Bl-appoġġ tal-Partit Popolari, l-Konservattivi, l-partiti tal-lemin (inkluż dawk ta’ Bossi u Le Pen) u numru mdaqqas mill-grupp soċjalista probabilment li jkun approvat b’mod partikolari wara d-dikjarazzjoni li iffirma. L-opposizzjoni ġejja mill-Liberali, mill-Ħodor, minn parti mis-Soċjalisti (fuq quddiem MEPs nisa u LGBT) u l-bqija tax-xellug.

Intqal ħafna dwar il-kandidatura ta’ Tonio Borg. Kull min ikkritikah għamel dan mill-ottika tiegħu.

Da parti ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika ikkritikajna n-nomina tiegħu bħala waħda li m’hiex addattata u dan in vista tal-posizzjonijiet politiċi li ħa matul il-karriera politika tiegħu. Hemm politiċi oħra li huma inqas kontroversjali u li ma ħadux posizzjoni ta’ konfront kontra l-gays u kontra d-divorzju . Il-posizzjoni ta’ Tonio Borg favur politika inumana dwar l-immigrazzjoni ġiet manifestat bl-appoġg da parti tiegħu għall-ftehim ta’ Berlusconi ma Gaddafi li bih bagħat l-immigranti lura fil-Libya għas-swat u t-tortura. Ġiet manifestata ukoll meta bagħat lura l-immigranti mill-Eritrea li spiċċaw sparixxew jew ġew ittorturati u dan kif ikkonkludew l-Amnesty International u l-UNHCR.

Filwaqt li hu floku li jingħad li matul il-hearing ta’ tlett siegħat li kellu fil-Parlament Ewropew Tonio Borg wera li kellu konoxxenza tajba tad-dikasteru  assenjat lilu naħseb li jkun għaqli li jkun emfasizzat li fi tlett siegħat ma tistax tħassar dak li tkun għamilt matul karriera politika sħiħa. Tista’ tipprova tispjega imma trid tkun konsistenti. Jekk ma tkunx ma tistax tikkonvinċi.

Matul it-tlett siegħat tal-hearing Tonio Borg impressjona li kien teknikament kompetenti. Iżda diversi li kellhom dubji dwar kemm il-passat hu mera tal-futur baqgħu bid-dubji. Għalhekk talbuh jagħmel dikjarazzjoni.

Id-dikjarazzjoni li Tonio Borg iffirma tiftaħ beraħ l-issue tal-abort. Il-PN tkaża meta MEPs mill-PL ivvutaw favur riżoluzzjoni fil-Parlament Ewropew li kellha referenzi mill-iktar indiretti għall-abort u dan fil-kuntest ta’ għajnuna lill-pajjiżi li qed jiżviluppaw. Kienu l-akkolti ta’ Tonio Borg fil-kampanja ta’ emendi kostituzzjonali dwar l-abort li fetħu l-kanuni. Issa naraw kemm huma lesti li jitkellmu fil-pubbliku dwar id-dikjarazzjoni ta’ Tonio Borg u kemm din tfisser appoġġ inkondizzjonat għall-abort fejn l-Unjoni Ewropea tista’ tagħmel dan.

Bid-dikjarazzjoni li iffirma Tonio Borg issa intrabat pubblikament li jpoġġi l-kuxjenza tiegħu fil-ġemb u jimplimenta dawk ir-rizoluzzjonijiet li ivvutaw favur tagħhom tal-Labour!

Dikjarazzjoni bħal din mhux kulħadd jagħtiha l-istess piz. Għax daqqa ta’ pinna ma tħassarx dak li temmen.

Mhux aħjar tirtira n-nomina ?

Qabel ma Lawrence Gonzi innomina lil Tonio Borg bħala Kummissarju Ewropew suċċessur Alternattiva Demokratika kienet insistiet li kien neċessarju li l-kandidat Malti jkun wieħed riżultat ta’ kunsens. Kandidat li fuqu jkun hemm qbil.

Lawrence Gonzi ma qabilx: webbes rasu u innomina lil Tonio Borg.

In-nomina ta’ Tonio Borg ma kienitx adatta għal Malta. Kienet adatta għal Gonzi għax warrablu minn Viċi Kap tal-PN.

Kuljum qed jintqalu affarijiet ġodda dwar Tonio Borg. Issa intqal li l-Parlament Ewropew qed jinvestiga materja ta’ serjeta’ kbira li fiha qed jissemma isem Tonio Borg: il-permess ta’ residenza ta’ dak li kien ħaten il-mexxej tal-Kazakstan. Il-Euractiv.com dal-għodu qaltilna : Malta’s choice for Commission faces grilling over Kazakh connection.  Din il-materja qamet ukoll dal-għodu waqt il-konferenza stampa li l-Kummissjoni Ewropeja tindirizza kuljum fi Brussels.

X’jonqos?

Mhux aħjar tirtira n-nomina ta’ Tonio Borg Dr Gonzi, qabel ma tkompli timbarazza lil Malta?

Il-Labour: jgħid ħaga u jagħmel oħra

Il-Grupp Parlamentari Soċjalista fil-Parlament Ewropew (imsejjaħ il-Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats) mhux konvint li l-Ministru tal-Affarijiet Barranin Malti Tonio Borg hu l-persuna adatta għall-Kummissarju tal-Unjoni Ewropeja. Ġie rappurtat fil-medja lokali li s-soċjalisti għandhom diffikulta’ dwar il-posizzjoni li ħa Tonio Borg dwar id-drittijiet tal-omosesswali meta l-Parlament Malti iddiskuta t-tibdil fil-liġijiet tal-kera u irrifjuta emenda imressqa mill-Opposizzjoni fil-Parlament imma iktar qabel proposta ukoll minn Alternattiva Demokratika.

Hannes Swoboda President tal-Grupp Soċjalista fil-Parlament Ewropew fi stqarrija maħruġa nhar il-25 t’Ottubru 2012 qal hekk dwar Tonio Borg:

“Regardless of the circumstances surrounding Mr Dalli’s resignation, we will look carefully into the qualifications of his proposed successor. In view of some comments from Mr Borg on the rights of homosexuals we intend to question him closely on whether his views are compatible with Europe’s fundamental values on civil liberties and non-discrimination.

“There has already been one case where the European Parliament rejected a candidate who could not convince MEPS of his readiness to accept basic European values. We do not need a second Rocco Buttiglione.”

Ma jidhirx li l-4 membri parlamentari soċjalisti Maltin oggezzjinaw għal dan. Imma f’Malta b’mod ipokritu jibqgħu jgħidu li qed jappoġġaw il-kandidatura ta’ Tonio Borg.

Bħal dejjem il-Labour jgħid ħaġa u jagħmel oħra: f’Malta jitkellem favur Tonio Borg. Barra qiegħed jappoġġa lil min jikkritikah. M’humiex kapaċi jkunu konsistenti.

Hekk kienu u hekk jibqgħu. Jagħmlu dak li jaqbel fil-mument. F’Malta jitkellmu favur il-kandidatura ta’ Tonio Borg. Barra minn Malta jilgħabuha ta’ progressivi!

Sadanittant Alternattiva Demokratika kienet ċara daqs il-kristall. Il-Grupp tal-Ħodor fil-Parlament Ewropew kif fisser Arnold Cassola, kelliemi għal Affarijiet Internazzjonali u Ewropej ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika m’huwiex konvint li Tonio Borg hu l-persuna adatta biex tkun Kummissarju Ewropew u dan minħabba l-posizzjoni tiegħu fuq drittijiet ċivili u drittijiet umani. L-issue m’hiex biss dwar il-posizzjoni ta’ Tonio Borg fuq id-drittijiet ċivili tal-gays imma ukoll fuq il-posizzjoni tiegħu dwar r-refuġjati . Il-Ħodor Ewropej huma xettiċi dwar Tonio Borg fid-dawl ta’ rapporti mill-Kummissjoni Għolja dwar ir-Refuġjati u Amnesty International.

Tonio Borg għandu ħafna x’jispjega. Jekk ma jispjegax ser ikollu ħafna diffikultajiet.

A democratic test

The reaction of government to Franco Debono’s motion on St Philip’s Hospital is of serious concern. It will certainly be no feather in the cap for Deputy Prime Minister Tonio Borg if he has to face hearings in the European Parliament in the weeks to come as a possible successor of John Dalli. It is unheard of in a democracy to postpone the consideration of a motion in order that you have a free hand as a result of obstructing Parliament from expressing itself.

Tonio Borg as Leader of the House has to shoulder political responsibility for the manoeuvres which he is orchestrating in the House Business Committee. The motion calls for withholding the conclusion of an agreement between Government and Good Shepherd Group Limited until such time that the process leading to the agreement has been thoroughly examined by the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee.

Such actions contradict Tonio Borg’s credentials built up in the 70s and 80s as a result of which he is known to one and all as a democrat: a reasonable person, respecting the views of others. These manoeuvres point to a different Tonio Borg.

These manoeuvres are motivated by the fact that it is clear that government no longer enjoys the confidence of the House. Faced with such a fact any democrat would not dare to create obstacles to ensure that such a motion is not considered.

Last Monday’s debate in the House was conceded by government as it did not involve any decision taking. The debate revealed that there are a large number of unanswered questions in respect of the  proposed agreement to lease and eventually possibly purchase St Philip’s Hospital. These require an answer before not after the signing of the agreement.

A democratic government would ensure that Parliament expresses itself at the earliest, and once it has spoken it would seek to follow meekly as directed by Parliament.

This is a democratic test which government must face. So far it has avoided it.

 

Published in di-ve.com on Friday, 19 October 2012

Is-siġġu ta’ Joseph Cuschieri u George Papandreou

Joseph Cuschieri bir-raġun kollu jrid is-siġġu tiegħu fil-Parlament Ewropew. Wara kollox għandu dritt għalih mhux biss għax ivvutawlu n-nies, iżda fuq kollox għax hu kien li ċeda postu lil Dottor Joseph Muscat fil-Parlament Malti.

Għamel tajjeb Joseph Cuschieri meta qal li l-Prim Ministru ta’ Malta Lawrence Gonzi għandu jinsisti mal-Prim Ministru tal-Greċja George Papandreou biex il-Greċja ma tibqax tkaxkar saqajha u tapprova l-protokol li permezz tiegħu jkun possibli illi huwa (Cuschieri) jieħu postu fi Brussels.

 Veru li Cuschieri żgarra waħda kbira meta qal li Malta għandha (sakemm il-Greċja tapprova s-siggu tiegħu) timblokka l-għajnuna tal-Unjoni Ewropea lill-Greċja biex din tkun tista’ tirpilja mill-kriżi finanzjarja li tinsab fiha frott il-korruzzjoni u t-tmexxija ħażina tul is-snin. Imma dak għamlu għax il-boy għadu ma jafx l-affarijiet sew miskin. Għadu qed jimmatura. U ngħiduha kif inhi, fil-Parlament Malti ma tantx kellu opportunitajiet biex jiftah ftit moħħu.  

Imma ngħid jiena George Papandreou imbarra Prim Ministru tal-Greċja mhux ukoll Mexxej tal-Partit Soċjalista Grieg?  U dawn mhux aħwa tas-Soċjalisti Maltin li illum isejħu ruħhom laburisti?

Ngħid jien ma jkunx għaqli li s-Sur Cuschieri jgħid lill-Kap tal-Partit Soċjalista Malti Dottor JosephMuscat biex jaqbad it-telefon u jkellem ftit lill-Kap tal-Partit Soċjalista Grieg  u jgħidlu biex jiċċaqlaq ftit? Jew forsi diġa ċempillu u injoraħ?

Forsi Joseph Cuschieri jgħidilna ftit, għax wara kollox huwa Dottor Joseph Muscat li l-iktar għandu jgħinu mhux hekk ? 

Dealing with Environmental Crime

published July 9, 2011

 In late 2008, the European Union, through a joint decision of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, adopted Directive 99/2008 “on the protection of the environment through criminal law”.

Member states had to implement this directive by not later than December 26, 2010. Malta, together with 11 other EU member states, did not comply. As a result, on June 16, the EU Commission issued a warning to all 12 states to comply within two months.

The EU directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law does not create new environment legislation. It aims to consolidate existing laws through harmonising penalties that should be inflicted as well as by ensuring that these penalties are really a deterrent.

Annex A to the directive lists EU legislation (some 70 directives and regulations) subject to this directive’s provisions. This is wide ranging and includes legislation regulating waste, GMOs, air quality, quality of water for human consumption, use of sewage sludge in agriculture, use and transportation of hazardous materials, protection of water from nitrates originating from agriculture, trade in endangered species and many others.

Within EU structures, the Maltese government opposed provisions of the proposed directive. So it is no surprise that this resistance is also reflected in the implementation process. This gives a new significance to the Maltese government’s declarations on the importance the environment has in its political agenda.

During the discussion stage in the EU structures, representatives of the Malta government expressed a view contrary to the harmonisation of sanctions primarily on the basis of the economic disparity across the EU member states.

The impact assessment produced by the EU on the proposed directive had emphasised that, in the EU, there are three areas that organised crime focuses on to the detriment of the environment. These are illicit trade in ozone depleting substances, illicit hazardous waste treatment and disposal and illicit trade in endangered wildlife species. A study entitled Organised Environmental Crime In EU Member States (2003) quoted by the EU impact assessment also states that 73 per cent of researched environmental crime cases involve corporations or corporate-like structures.

Organised environmental crime, which has a turnover of billions of euros in the EU, can have a devastating effect on the economy. There are various examples which we can draw upon. The case of the contaminated mozzarella in the Naples environs in March 2008 is one such example. Organised crime pocketed substantial landfill charges for the handling of toxic and hazardous waste, which was subsequently dumped in areas that were reserved for the grazing of buffalo. The resulting buffalo mozzarella was contaminated with dioxin. The impacts on the mozzarella industry were substantial.

Proof of the operations of the eco-Mafia has also surfaced some time ago when Francesco Fonti, a Mafia turncoat, took the witness stand against the Calabria Mafia. We do recall information given as to the sinking in the Mediterranean of about 42 ships laden with toxic, hazardous and nuclear waste. One of the said ships has been located and identified off the coast of Reggio Calabria.

This network of organised environmental crime is so vast that, at a time, it also dumped toxic, hazardous and nuclear waste in Somalia. The warlords in the Somalia civil war were financed by the eco-Mafia. They supplied them with arms in return for their consent to the dumping of the toxic, hazardous and nuclear waste. Italian journalists (RaiTre) who had tracked down the shipments were shot and murdered in Mogadishu.

The dumping of toxic, hazardous and nuclear waste in the Mediterranean Sea can have very serious impacts on Malta. It contaminates what’s left of fish stocks but also, depending on the location used for dumping, it can impact Malta’s potable water, 60 per cent of which originates from seawater processed by reverse osmosis plants.

Given these serious impacts I would have expected that the Maltese government would be at the forefront in implementing the directive on environmental crime in order to ensure that issues of cross-border organised environmental crime are adequately tackled. It is indeed very unfortunate that the tools which the EU provides so that Malta can protect its real interests are continuously ignored. One cannot help but ask why.

Law firm Hugo Lepage & Partners, in a comparative study commissioned by the EU Commission and entitled Study On Environmental Crime In The 27 Member States (2007), repeatedly identifies penalties for environmental crime in Malta as being at the lower end of the scale in the EU. The message that gets through is that environmental crime is treated lightly in Malta. Malta is not alone in this respect: it enjoys the company of a small number of other countries.

Environmental crime should be punished through penalties that are effective and proportionate to the environmental damage carried out or envisaged. It is in Malta’s interest that this is done expeditiously.

EP vote on tuna – a victory for our common interest

Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party said today that the European Parliament’s vote to ban international trading in tuna is a step in the right direction. Such a ban will help local fishermen who supply the local market since traditional fishing will still be permitted. It is a well known fact that the international trading in tuna, a natural resource, is wreaking havoc on this fish’s stock.

AD Chairperson Michael Briguglio said:’A ban on international trade in this species is inevitable.  Overfishing and tuna ranching resulting mainly from large scale fishing taking place over the years caused stocks of this fish to diminish drastically. This industry will survive for maybe another couple of years and then die for good if this ban is not introduced. It is a do or die situation.’

Maltese tuna exporters and ranchers are pressuring the government to fight such a ban. The government and PN and PL MEPs are giving in to the strong multimillion Euro lobby instead of joining the majority of the European Parliament and a majority of European Union countries to take the necessary steps to protect a natural resource and small local fishermen. Some groups in the European Parliament with a history of defending strong industrial lobbies’ interests and who boast of being the largest group, have done the same in the vote on the ban in international trading in tuna. They have defended the interests of strong lobbies instead of the common interest. Thankfully these groups were defeated and their amendment to render the ban ineffective was blocked. Michael Briguglio siad:’AD thanks the Green Group in the European Parliament which chose to defend our common interest and the small traditional fishermen who fish in a sustainable manner.’

Simon Galea, spokesperson on Animal Welfare and Agriculture added:’The ban in international trade in tuna is in the common interest of us all. Fishing can be reassumed once the stock numbers improve. On the other hand fishing will have to cease for good once the species is extinct. Resisting such a ban is attempting suicide. Stricter measures have to be introduced once the ban is lifted. New quotas for sustainable fishing plus better enforcement of such is essential in order to prevent history from repeating itself.’

It is about time the government of Malta joins those of Italy and France by supporting this ban.

EU Parliament elections : June 2009

An exercise carried out by AD-The Green Party in Malta has revealed that a large number of EU citizens are not registered to vote at the forthcoming EU Parliament elections next June.

The Times of Malta reported AD’s press release as follows on the 13 July 2008 :

AD calls on PM to give EP voting rights to foreign residents

Arnold Cassola, chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) has called on the Prime Minister to ensure that the thousands of resident non-Maltese EU citizens not registered to vote be given the right to do so in time for the European Parliamentary elections due to be held in 11 months.

“Unfortunately, it seems that the Maltese and Gozitan electoral offices are not being pro-active in enrolling non-Maltese EU residents in the electoral register for the European Parliament elections.

For example, comparative scrutiny of the respective October electoral registers reveal that in the locality of St Paul’s Bay, whereas 2.909 non-Maltese EU citizens are enrolled in the local council register, only 113 are likewise enrolled in the European Parliament one,” said Prof. Cassola.

Stephen Cachia, the party’s deputy chairman and spokesman for democratic institution and civil rights said this anomaly is compounded because most non-Maltese EU citizens have expired I.D. cards.

“Unfortunately, no date has been set for the renewal of I.D. cards and this is not expected to be started before sometime in 2009,” explained Mr Cachia.

“Given that the deadline for enrolment in the European Parliament electoral register to be eligible to vote in the European Parliament elections next year is late February/early March, the Electoral Commission should immediately send a letter to every single resident non-Maltese EU citizen already enrolled on the local council electoral registers and on its I.D. card holder data base, informing them of their EU voting rights and of how to enroll on the European Parliament electoral register,” concluded Mr Cachia.

 

More interesting that the above reporting are the comments posted on the timesofmalta online site. Consider the following :

Joe Borg

I suspect that’s why, then, AD got 23,000 in the European Parliament elections in 2004 and then just 3,000 in the last general elections. 20,000 of its voters in 2004 were foreigners. That is why AD needs to discuss very seriously its participation in general elections. Its energy would be better spent getting all these foreigners to vote AD in the European Parliament and local council elections.

Charles Camilleri

Why waste our time and money? If they are interested they should found out for themselves how to enroll on the E P E register. Anyhow i wonder how many of them are interested going by the low turn out in past polls.

Miriam Galea

People writing comments like Charles Camilleri below are making me so sorry for having voted PN.
“Wasting of money for informing people about their fundamental rights” Oh! Come on!
Gone are the days when Mintoff used to write in our passports : No foreigner should interfere in our politics.

Oisin Jones-Dillon

The fallacy of ‘foreigner’ does not figure in this equation. We
are all European Union citizens now.

L Galea

It does figure because you are still foreigners and will remain foreigners to us whatever you and others say.

Iain Sims

Albeit that I am a ‘foreigner’, I am a law abiding tax payer in Malta. My European Union rights, as a citizen of a member state, provide me with the ability to vote for representation in the European Parliament in the country of which I am resident.

To have that right denied through any form of clerical error would be of utmost concern.

A. Bartolo

Indeed MR Dillon you are right. I still wonder why The Times of Malta still uses these terms of ‘foreigners’ to EU citizens living in Malta.
Just a reminder: Malta joined the EU in 2004. Am I correct?

Sandro Camilleri

Foreigners should not have a right to a vote here in malta. Anyway they don’t care about our political system. See how many of them go and vote in their localities. They will surely not care to vote for the EU elections. They just come here to occupy the best parts of the island.

In view of the above I posted the following comment on the timesofmalta online site :

Having read the comments (above), I would dare say that Oliver Friggieri was right after all when in the 1990s he had said that : Qabel ma Malta tidhol fl-Ewropa jehtieg li tidhol fis-seklu ghoxrin (Prior to Malta acceding the EU it needs to embrace the spirit of the 20th century.)