Il-Kungress tal-Partit Popolari Ewropew li l-PN organizza f’Malta ġieb xi karattri li jċajpru ftit il-messaġġ li qed jipprova jwassal il-PN li wara kollox huwa abjad iktar mis-silġ.
Bunga Bunga Berlusconi iktar kont nistħajjel li ġej għal xi summit ma Chris Cardona milli għall-kungress tal-PPE. Dan apparti l-esperjenza tiegħu fl-evażjoni tat-taxxa!
Ovvjament, il-PN dejjem kien jaf jagħżilhom lill-ħbieb tiegħu!
Will the United Kingdom exit the European Union? There is the distinct possibility that the answer to that question will depend on how long it takes for a decision to be taken.
The main political parties in the United Kingdom are currently dealing with the fallout of the Brexit referendum. The Conservatives are in the process of electing a new leader to replace David Cameron, who has resigned, and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is licking the wounds inflicted by the Vote of No Confidence passed by Labour’s Parliamentary Group.
In the meantime, the EU is awaiting the triggering of the exit procedures as established by Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. David Cameron has conveniently passed on the baton to his successor, so far undetermined. Two of the contenders for this position, Theresa May and Michael Gove, on the other hand, have said that if elected, Article 50 will definitely not be triggered before the end of the year.
Given that applying Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty signifies the potential cancellation of a large part of EU legislation currently applicable in the UK, it stands to reason that it is only through an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament that the authority to trigger the application of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty can be attained.
A basic bone of contention is whether the UK will trigger the provisions of Article 50 before or after it enters discussions with the EU. Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is adamant that no discussions should take place before the UK triggers Article 50. Yet this does not make sense for the UK, because once Article 50 has been triggered, there is no going back. It makes much more sense, and is also in line with the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, for the EU and the UK to discuss the terms of an exit in accordance with their respective political priorities.
The issues are clear enough: whether access to the European single market should be tied to the four freedoms, that is freedom of movement of capital, goods, people and services.
Implementing Brexit should mean that the UK’s position is crystal clear: it is against the free movement of people. In fact, this is what the “taking back control” phrase of the ‘leave’ campaign means. Translated into an agreement regulating the UK’s exit from the EU, it should mean that there is no possibility of the EU conceding access to the single market. But will the UK’s political position be that clear and unequivocal? Many in the leave campaign want to have their cake and eat it. They want the benefits of membership (access to the single market) without shouldering the burdens (free movement of people). This is clearly not possible and can be made amply clear in formal or informal discussions prior to triggering Article 50.
The (new) UK government will have some serious homework to do before it sits down at the negotiating table. If it sticks to the Brexit conclusions, the terms of the agreement regulating the UK’s exit from the EU should not take long to identify. It will, however, not be that simple and ultimately it will depend on the composition of the new UK government.
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Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty
published in The Malta Independent on Sunday : July 3, 2016
Matul il-ġranet li għaddew segwejna l-informazzjoni żvelata dwar il-Lussimburgu. Kif l-awtoritajiet tat-taxxa tal-pajjiż, fiż-żmien li Jean Claude Juncker kien Prim Ministru innegozjaw ma numru ta’ kumpaniji kbar status fiskali li permezz tiegħu setgħu “jiffrankaw” biljuni kbar f’taxxi.
Din li jiffrankaw fil-fatt ma hi xejn għajr evazjoni legalizzata tat-taxxa. Biex ma jħallsux taxxa f’pajjiż jagħmlu użu mil-liġijiet ta’ pajjiż ieħor. Għal min hu fil-business dan hu aċċettabbli. Fil-fatt meta kien ippressat mill-istampa Jean Claude Juncker qal li dak li ġara kien legali imma jifhem li mhux aċċettabbli etikament.
Għax il-politika m’għandiex x’taqsam biss mal-liġi. Dak li hu legali mhux dejjem huwa aċċettabbli. Fil-prattika, l-Lussimburgu taħt it-tmexxija ta’ Juncker għamlitha possibli lil numru ta’ multinazzjonali jħallsu ħafna inqas f’taxxi. Dan hu etikament ħażin. Għax ċaħħdet lill-pajjiżi fejn joperaw dawn il-kumpaniji minn taxxi li kienu meħtieġa għal programmi soċjali f’dawk il-pajjiżi.
L-argumenti politiċi li jinġiebu s’issa huma dawk dwar il-kompetizzjoni fiskali. Jiġifieri li ġaladarba t-tassazzjoni hi kompetenza tal-istati membri fl-Unjoni Ewropeja, x’rati ta’ taxxa jitħallsu u minn min hu determinabbli biss individwalment mill-istati membri tal-Unjoni Ewropeja.
Imma issa hemm min qed jargumenta li meta pajjiż jagħti status fiskali privileġġjat lil dawn il-kumpaniji biex jiġbdhom lejn il-pajjiż, idaħħal ftit taxxi minn fuqhom kif ukoll joħloq numru ta’ impiegi konnessi mar-reġistrazzjoni u l-amministrazzjoni tal-kumpaniji, dan kollu hu għajnuna mill-istat (state aid) liema għajnuna mhiex aċċettabbli.
Għalhekk fetħet investigazzjoni dwar il-Lussimburgu li qed titmexxa mill-Kummissarju għall-Kompetizzjoni, id-Daniża Margrethe Vestager.
Hu inevitabbli li dan kollu f’xi stadju ser iħalli impatt fuq is-settur finanzjarju f’Malta. Huwa magħruf li bosta xogħol f’dan il-qasam ġie f’Malta minħabba pakkett ta’ inċentivi li jinkludi rati ta’ taxxa favorevoli ħafna. Fi ftit kliem dawn il-kumpaniji ġew hawn għax jaqblilhom. Jaqblilhom għax iħallsu ftit taxxi ħdejn li jkollhom iħallsu f’pajjiżi oħra. Bħala riżultat ta’ dan qed jagħtu kontribut lill-ekonomija tal-pajjiż kif ukoll qed jiġġeneraw numru mhux żgħir ta’ impiegi.
Il-problema hi li dan kollu huwa ibbażat fuq l-evażjoni tat-taxxa f’pajjiżi oħra. Hi problema li rridu niffaċċjaw fix-xhur li ġejjin meta l-Kummissjoni Ewropeja tiddeċiedi jekk tiftaħx investigazzjoni dwar Malta kif ukoll dwar pajjiżi oħra fosthom l-Irlanda u dan wara li tiżviluppa ftit ieħor l-investigazzjoni dwar il-Lussimburgu.
Tajjeb li l-istat Malti jiġġieled f’Malta kontra l-evażjoni tat-taxxa. Imma imbagħad hi ipokrezija politika li Malta tfittex li tibbenefika mill-evażjoni tat-taxxa f’pajjiżi oħra. Jew aħna kontra l-evażjoni jew m’aħniex! Ma nistgħux inkunu kredibbli bħala pajjiż jekk nibqgħu niżviluppaw l-ekonomija tagħna fuq l-evażjoni tat-taxxi f’pajjiżi oħra. L-ekonomija u l-etika għandhom jimxu id f’id.
JOINT SEMINAR BY THE OFFICE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN MALTA AND THE TODAY PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE
Friday 3 October 2014
address by Carmel Cacopardo
Since Malta’s EU accession there has been a marked contrast of interest in issues related to environmental governance.
EU accession has generally had a positive influence on Maltese environmental governance. A flow of EU funds has been applied to various areas which Maltese governments throughout the years did not consider worthy of investing in. On the one hand we had governments “occasionally” applying the brakes, seeking loopholes, real or imaginary, in order to ensure that lip service is not accidentally translated into meaningful action. On the other hand civil society has, in contrast, and as a result of EU accession identified a new source of empowerment, at times ready to listen, however slow to react and at times ineffective.
Land use planning and abusive hunting/trapping have for many years been the main items on the local environment agenda. Water, air quality, climate change, alternative energy, biodiversity, noise, light pollution, organic agriculture, waste management and sustainable development have rightfully claimed a place in the agenda during the past 10 years. Some more frequently, others occasionally.
Land use planning has been on the forefront of civil society’s environmental agenda for many years. Abusive land use planning in the 80s fuelled and was fuelled by corruption. It led to various public manifestations in favour of the environment then equated almost exclusively with the impacts of land development. Many such manifestations ended up in violence. Whilst this may be correctly described as history, it is occasionally resurrected as in the recent public manifestation of hunters protesting against the temporary closure of the autumn hunting season.
Whilst hunting and land use planning may still be the main items on Malta’ environmental agenda the ecological deficit which we face is substantially deeper and wider. It is generally the result of myopic policies.
For example it is well known that public transport has been practically ignored for the past 50 years, including the half-baked reform of 2010. This is the real cause of Malta’s very high car ownership (around 750 vehicles per 1000 population). As the Minister of Finance rightly exclaimed during a pre-budget public consultation exercise earlier this week traffic congestion is a major issue of concern, not just environmental but also economic. Impacting air quality, requiring additional land uptake to construct new roads or substantial funds to improve existing junctions traffic congestion is a drain on our resources. May I suggest that using EU funds to improve our road network will delay by several years the shifting of custom to public transport, when we will have one which is worthy of such a description.
The mismanagement of water resources over the years is another important issue. May I suggest that millions of euros in EU funds have been misused to institutionalise the mismanagement of water resources. This has been done through the construction of a network of underground tunnels to channel stormwater to the sea. The approval of such projects is only possible when one has no inkling of what sustainable management of water resources entails. Our ancestors had very practical and sustainable solutions: they practised water harvesting through the construction of water cisterns beneath each and every residence, without exception. If we had followed in their footsteps the incidence of stormwater in our streets, sometimes having the smell of raw sewage due to an overflowing public sewer, would be substantially less. And in addition we would also avoid overloading our sewage purification plants.
Our mismanagement of water resources also includes the over-extraction of ground water and the failure to introduce an adequate system of controls throughout the years such that most probably there will be no more useable water in our water table very shortly. In this respect the various deadlines established in the Water Framework Directive would be of little use.
Whilst our Cabinet politicians have developed a skill of trying to identify loopholes in the EU’s acquis (SEA and Birds Directive) they also follow bad practices in environmental governance.
It is known that fragmentation of environmental responsibilities enables politicians to pay lip service to environmental governance but then creating real and practical obstacles in practice.
Jean Claude Juncker, the President elect of the EU Commission has not only diluted environmental governance by assigning responsibility for the environment together with that for fisheries and maritime policy as well as assigning energy with climate change. He has moreover hived off a number of responsibilities from the DG Environment to other DGs namely Health and Enterprise.
In Malta our bright sparks have anticipated his actions. First on the eve of EU accession they linked land use planning with the Environment in an Authority called MEPA with the specific aim of suffocating the environment function in an authority dominated by development. Deprived of human resources including the non-appointment of a Director for the Environment for long stretches of time, adequate environmental governance could never really get off the ground.
Now we will shortly be presented with the next phase: another fragmentation by the demerger of the environment and planning authority.
In the short time available I have tried to fill in the gaps in the environment section of the document produced by The Today Public Policy Institute. The said document rightly emphasises various achievements. It does however state that prior to EU accession the environment was not given its due importance by local policy makers. Allow me to submit that much still needs to be done and that the progress made to date is insufficient.
Uħud qed jogħruk jdejhom li Karmenu Vella kien approvat miż-żewġ kumitati tal-Parlament Ewropew li għarbluh.
Kien mistenni li jsir hekk minkejja li uħud kellhom u għad għandhom dubji dwar dan. Huma esprimew dawn id-dubji fil-laqgħat li saru, kemm fil-pubbliku kif ukoll fil-privat.
Il-kritika ndirizzata lejn Karmenu Vella kienet ta’ żewġ tipi.
L-ewwel tip ta’ kritika kienet dik dwar ir-responsabbiltajiet tiegħu. Fir-realta’ din kienet kritika iktar indirizzata lejn Jean Claude Juncker u l-mod kif huwa qassam ir-responsabbiltajiet bejn il-Kummissarji differenti proposti. Id-diffikulta tal-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej kienet li minħabba li diversi materji ta’ importanza ambjentali ġew assenjati bħala responsabbilta ta’ Kummissarji oħra huma riedu jkunu jafu l-fehma ta’ Karmenu Vella dwarhom. Dan minħabba li bħala membru tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja Karmenu Vella bla dubju ser ikun mitlub jieħu sehem fit-teħid ta’ deċiżjonijiet dwarhom. Allura kien meħtieġ li jkun stabilit x’kienet il-ħegga u l-viżjoni ambjentali ta’ Karmenu Vella. Izda dwar dan ħarġu ferm disappuntati.
It-tieni tip ta’ kritika kienet dwar il-preparazzjoni. Karmenu Vella kellu ħmistax-il jum (biss) biex jipprepara ruħ. Kellu preparazzjoni raġjonevoli dwar is-Sajd u l-Politika Marittima imma l- preparazzjoni dwar l-ambjent kienet waħda ferm fqira.
Imma xorta ġie approvat.
Għaliex sar dan?
L-unika grupp li appoġġah b’mod assolut kien dak Soċjalista. Il-Popolari kellhom riżervi dwar it-tweġibiet li ta’ imma kienu lesti li jagħtuh ċans. Il-Liberali riedu assugurazzjoni dwar l-impenn tal-Kummissjoni kollha favur l-iżvilupp sostenibbli. Il-Greens dehrilhom li ma kienx addattat u fuq kollox li ma kienx ser joħroġ għonqu għall-Ambjent u Sajd jekk ikun ikkonfrontat minn interessi proposti.
Huwa ċar li ġaladarba qablu bejniethom is-Soċjalisti u l-Popolari, Karmenu Vella kellu l-appoġġ tal-maġġoranza fil-kumitati tal-Parlament Ewropew li deher quddiemhom. Wara li s-Soċjalisti iddeċidew li jagħtu l-appoġġ lill-kandidatura ta’ Jean Claude Juncker bħala President tal-Kummissjoni kien ċar li ħlief f’kaz li jinqala’ xi ħaġa gravi m’hu ser ikun hemm l-ebda Kummissarju Socjalista jew Popolari li ma jkunx approvat. Jekk ma jseħħx dan, kull naħa għandha x’titlef. (Nafu li hemm ta’ l-inqas sitt Kummissarji li qegħdin taħt attakk.)
Fil-ġranet li ġejjin irridu naraw kif ser jiżviluppaw il-laqgħat tal-Parlamentari mal-Kummissarji proposti kif ukoll kemm Jean Claude Juncker ser jagħti kaz tal-kritika li saret, lilu u lill-Kummissarji proposti.
Bl-istampa sħiħa d-diskussjoni tkun ferm iktar interessanti.
Żieda : 8.20am
Sadanittant il-BBC għadu kemm ħabbar li Jonathan Hill, il-Kummissarju prospettiv nominat mir-Renju Unit għadu ma ġiex approvat mill-Kumitat Parlamentari. Għadhom m’humiex sodisfatti u fil-fatt sejħulu biex jidher mill-ġdid għal iktar mistoqsijijiet il-ġimgħa d-dieħla.
Anke l-Kummissarju Spanjol għandu l-problemi biex ikun ikkonfermat. Ara hawn.
Il-wirja ta’ Karmenu Vella illum huwa u jwieġeb il-mistoqsjiet tal-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej kienet waħda fqira.
Mhux biss ma kellux għarfien adegwat tal-oqsma ambjentali, talli ma wera l-ebda ħeġġa jew viżjoni dwar d-diversi oqsma li kien mistoqsi dwarhom. Tant li Claude Turmes, il-membru Parlamentari tal-Ħodor tal-Lussemburgu ħass il-ħtieġa li jsaqsieħ jekk Juncker taħx struzzjonijiet biex ma jikkommettix ruħu.
Tlift il-kont ta’ kemm il-darba ma kienx f’posizzjoni li jirrispondi, ma tax risposta jew qagħad idur mal-lewża. Buzz-words uża kemm trid. Imma meta kien mitlub ikun konkret f’dak li qed jgħid naqas milli jagħmel dan.
Anke dwar id-Direttiva dwar l-Għasafar żelaq meta ipprova jgħid x’għandu f’moħħu Juncker meta taħ l-inkarigu biex jikkonsolida din id-Direttiva u dik dwar il-Habitats. L-ikbar ċertifikat tawhulu l-Birdlife International meta qalu li : I don’t think we can feel reassured in any way by his performance.
Minkejja dan kollu l-Grupp Soċjalista hu sodisfatt u l-grupp tal-Popolari jafu li x’aktarx li ser ikollhom jitwikkew bih, għax hekk ftehmu ma’ Gianni Pitella u Martin Schultz. Inkella Juncker ma jkollux l-appoġġ tas-Soċjalisti!
Imma x’ser jiġri eżatt għadu mhux ċar, għax għad irridu naraw kif ser imorru l-Kummissarji kollha. Imbagħad jibdew jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet.
Nagħlaq b’kumment tal-Greens fil-Parlament Ewropew dwar Karmenu Vella:
Do you think he is suitable for the portfolio he has been assigned?
Not really. He is fully loyal to the political direction that has been outlined by Commission president-elect Juncker. He is capable of lip service on sustainable development (green growth), but did not demonstrate any willingness to take on industry opposition. He lacks commitment and conviction about the issues. It is difficult to imagine him confronting commissioners defending industry interests. He did not come across as a fighter, which is disappointing for one of the most important commissioners for the Greens.
Għall-kummenti kompleti tal-Greens dwar Karmenu Vella agħfas hawn.
Il-bieraħ Alternattiva Demokratika ippubblikat ittra li Rebecca Harms u Philippe Lamberts mexxejja konġunti tal-Grupp tal-Ħodor fil-Parlament Ewropew bagħtu lil Jean Claude Juncker il-President elett tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja.
F’din l-ittra li l-oriġinal tagħha jista’ jinqara hawn Harms u Lamberts qed jilmentaw li fit-tqassim tar-responsabbiltajiet lill-Kummissarji l-ġodda Juncker injora l-fatt li t-trattat Ewropew fl-artiklu 3.3 tiegħu ipoġġi bħala mira ċara tal-Unjoni Ewropeja li din taħdem favur l-iżvilupp sostenibbli.
Dan l-obbligu, jemfasizzaw Harms u Lamberts mhux rifless fir-responsabbiltajiet tal-Viċi Presidenti u l-anqas fl-ittri tal-ħatra tal-Kummissarji differenti.
L-emfasi fuq it-tnaqqis tar-regolamentazzjoni flimkien mal-fatt li ingħaqdu flmkien responsabbiltajiet ta’ dawk li sal-lum kienu dikasteri differenti huwa ferm inkwetanti. L-Ambjent ingħaqad mas-Sajd u l-Politika Marittima filwaqt li l-Enerġija u l-Azzjoni dwar it-Tibdil fil-Klima inġabru ukoll fir-responsabbiltajiet ta’ Kummissarju wieħed. Dan kollu flimkien iwassal għat-tħassib fundat li l-importanza għal azzjoni ambjentali ser tkun imdgħajfa filwaqt li l-ħidma dwar l-impatti klimatiċi ser tonqos drastikament.
Dan kollu hu konfermat ukoll miċ-ċaqlieq ta’ numru ta’ responsabbiltajiet li sal-lum kienu meqjusa bħala primarjament responsabbiltajiet ambjentali li issa ġew assenjati f’direttorati ġenerali oħra.
Fid-dawl ta’ dan il-Ħodor ħeġġew lil Jean-Claude Juncker biex jagħmel tibdil fir-responsabbiltajiet tal-Kummissarji u dan billi :
l-ewwel: jassenja r-responsabbilta għall-iżvilupp sostenibbli lil wieħed mill-Viċi Presidenti,
it-tieni: jissepara mill-ġdid ir-responsabbilta għall-klima minn dik għall-enerġija u dik għall-ambjent mis-sajd u l-politika marittima,
it-tielet: jirrevedi l-ittri tal-ħatra ta’ numru ta’ kummissarji ewlenin billi jagħti importanza u prijorita’ lis-sostenibilita kif ukoll lill-użu għaqli tar-riżorsi naturali u lill-bijodiversita,
ir-raba’ jirrevedi ċ–ċaqlieq ta’ responsabbiltajiet li tneħħew mid-Direttorat Ġenerali tal-Ambjent.
Fl-ittra tagħhom Harms u Lamberts jemfasizzaw li huwa obbligu tal-Parlament li jassugura illi l-interessi taċ-ċittadini Ewropej ikunu imħarsa huwa u jsir l-iskrutinju u l-ħatra tal-Kummissjoni. It-tibdil li dwaru l-Ħodor qed jinsistu huwa fl-interess taċ-ċittadini Ewropej u għaldaqstant il-Ħodor jidhrilhom illi jekk dan it-tibdil ma jseħħx huwa impossibli għalihom li jagħtu appoġġ lill-Kummissjoni l-ġdida.
Diġa kien hemm reazzjonijiet għal dan kemm minn Martin Schultz President tal-Parlament Ewropew kif ukoll minn Juncker innifsu.
Schultz irreaġixxa limitatament għall-punt dwar l-iżvilupp sostenibbli. Il-bieraħ stess ENDS Europe irrappurtat lil Schultz hekk : New Commission needs sustainability Vice President.
Schultz jidhirlu li hu żball da parti ta’ Juncker li ħalla barra responsabbilta għall-iżvilupp sostenibbli mir-responsabbiltajiet tal-Viċi Presidenti.
Min-naħa l-oħra Juncker isostni kemm il-ġabra flimkien ta’ responsabbiltajiet tal-ambjent, sajd u politika marittima kif ukoll dawk dwar il-klima u l-enerġija. Min-naħa l-oħra jsostni ukoll li r-responsabbilta’ dwar l-iżvilupp sostenibbli hi tal-Kummissarji kollha.
Din hi l-kritika kostruttiva li qed jagħmlu l-Ħodor fil-Parlament Ewropew. Mhiex kritika indirizzat lejn xi pajjiż jew lejn xi Kummissarju partikolari. Dawk qed isiru ukoll minn ħaddieħor u huma motivati minn diversi raġunijiet.
Nistennew u naraw kif ser jiżviluppaw is-seduti pubbliċi li fihom, min-nhar it-Tnejn il-Kummissarji l-ġodda ser ikunu skrutinati dwar il-kompetenzi tagħhom.
Id-diskussjoni tkompli.
Mistiedna fi Franza tal-President Francois Hollande diversi mexxejja Soċjalisti ta’ Gvernijiet fl-Unjoni Ewropeja qed jaqblu li l-immigrazzjoni għandha tingħata iktar importanza.
Qalulna ukoll li l-operazzjoni Mare Nostrum immexxija mill-Gvern Taljan għandha tgħaddi f’idejn il-Frontex. Il-Gvern Malti jaqbel ma dan u ser jagħti l-appoġġ kollu tiegħu. Li kieku jseħħ hekk ikun tajjeb. Issa jekk dan isirx jew le ma nafx. Imma anke’ jekk isir, il-proċess ta’ salvataġġ huwa biss parti żgħira minn dak li għandu jsir. Wara li l-immigranti jkunu salvati x’ser jiġri? Hemm qegħda l-problema l-kbira. Dwaha ma hemmx qbil. Min irid il-push-backs u min ma jrid jagħmel xejn.
Issa ħa nkun ċar: jidher li hemm qbil minn Jean Claude Junker li l-Kummissjoni Ewropeja immexxija minnu tagħti prijorita’ lill-immigrazzjoni. M’għandix dubju li ser jipprova jagħmel hekk. Fid-diskussjoni issemmiet il-ħtieġa ta’ politika olistika dwar l-immigrazzjoni. Junker wiegħed ukoll li ser jeżamina l-proposta tal-Ħodor għall-bdil fir-regoli ta’ Dublin.
Imma biex jittieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet meħtieġa huma l-Gvernijiet li jridu jiċċaqalqu u mhux il-Kummissjoni Ewropeja biss. Il-Kummissjoni tul is-snin għamlet bosta proposti. Iżda l-passi l-quddiem kienu ftit u bil-mod.
Il-laqgħa ta’ Pariġu hi pass tajjeb. Iżda xi tfisser fil-fatt għad irridu naraw meta niġu għad-deċiżjonijiet. Pariġi kienu presenti rappreżentanti minn 10 pajjiżi, meta fl-Unjoni Ewropeja hemm 28 pajjiż! Kif jaħsbuha it-18-il pajjiż l-ieħor?
Fil-passat kemm il-Gvernijiet immexxija mis-Soċjalisti kif ukoll dawk immexxija mid-Demokristjani jew mill-Liberali dejjem qagħdu lura milli jaċċettaw li l-immigrazzjoni hi problema tal-pajjiżi kollha fl-Unjoni Ewropeja, u mhux biss ta’ dawk fuq il-fruntiera. Jekk is-Soċjalisti hux ser jibdlu it-triq għad irridu naraw.
Meta kienu Malta f’Mejju li għadda kemm Martin Schultz kif ukoll Jean Claude Junker tkellmu b’mod li jpoġġihom viċin ħafna tal-posizzjoni tal-Ħodor fil-Parlament Ewropew.
Jekk dak kienx tejatrin, għad irridu naraw.
Għamel tajjeb il-Gvern Malti li ħabbar illi f’dan l-istadju ser jappoġġa l-kandidatura tal-ex Prim Ministru tal-Lussemburgu Jean Claude Junker biex dan ikun is-suċċessur ta’ Josè Manuel Barroso. Il-posizzjoni tal-Gvern Malti tirrispetta dak li jipprovdi t-trattat ta’ Liżbona u li ser ikun implimentat għall-ewwel darba issa: fl-għażla tal-President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja, il-Kunsill Ewropew [kompost mill-Kapijiet tal-Gvernijiet] għandu jirrispetta r-riżultat elettorali tal-Parlament Ewropew.
Il-posizzjoni li ħa l-Gvern Malti hi posizzjoni tajba mhux biss għax tirrispetta t-trattat ta’ Liżbona, iżda fuq kollox għax dan qed isir fil-konfront ta’ rappreżentant ta’ partit politiku differenti minn dak li jappartjeni għalih il-partit fil-Gvern f’Malta. Huwa tajjeb li l-ispirtu Ewropew qed isaħħah l-għeruq f’pajjiżna ukoll! Jidher, mid-dikjarazzjonijiet ta’ Joseph Muscat, illi Jean Claude Junker ta’ assigurazzjonijiet lill-Gvern Malti illi l-programm tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja mmexxija minnu ser tagħti attenzjoni u enerġija lil proposti dwar l-immigrazzjoni skond ix-xewqa tal-Gvernijiet diversi fil-Mediterran, fuq quddiem net Malta u l-Italja. Dan hu pass tajjeb. Prosit.
Il-Kunsill Ewropew mistenni li jieħu deċiżjoni dwar is-suċċessur ta’ Barroso fis-summit ta’ tmiem ix-xahar. S’issa għadu mhux ċar jekk il-proposta tal-ħatra ta’ Junker hux ser tkun approvata u dan minħabba li hemm numru ta’ Gvernijiet Ewropej li iddikjaraw jew indikaw li ma jaqblux ma dan.
L-iktar li semma’ leħnu kien David Cameron Prim Ministru ta’ dak li sa issa hu r-Renju Unit. Cameron qed jopponi l-ħatra ta’ Junker minħabba l-politika federalist tiegħu (ta’ Junker) li Cameron iqies bħala ostaklu kbir għall-posizzjoni ta’ Cameron li l-Unjoni Ewropeja iżżarma kemm tista’ mir-regolamenti tagħha li ma jikkonċernawx il-kummerċ!
Cameron mhux waħdu. Għandu l-appoġġ tal-Gvernijiet tal-Isvezja, l-Olanda u l-Ungerija.
L-anqas Matteo Renzi, għall-Gvern Taljan, ma jidher li hu kuntent bin-nomina ta’ Junker.
Jekk dawn hux ser jibqgħu waħedhom jew jekk hux ser jiżdiedu fl-opposizzjoni għall-ħatra ta’ Junker għadu ftit kmieni biex inkunu nafu. Imma huwa importanti għax il-ħatra ta’ Junker teħtieġ l-approvazzjoni ta’ maġġoranza kwalifikata: 55% tal-pajjizi membri li jirrappreżentaw 65% tal-popolazzjoni Ewropeja.
Jekk il-Kunsill Ewropew japprova l-ħatra ta’ Jean Claude Junker bħala President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja, imbagħad ikun imiss l-approvazzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew. Fil-Parlament Ewropew l-opinjonijiet huma ħafna iktar ikkuluriti. Għalissa xejn ma hu assigurata, l-anqas hemm. Wara l-aħħar ta’ dan ix-xahar, kif ukoll meta l-programm politiku ta’ Junker ikun magħruf imbagħad l-affarijiet ikunu ftit iktar ċari.
Nistennew u naraw.
ippubblikat fuq iNews: it-Tlieta 17 ta’ Ġunju 2014
Stqarrija ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika
Issa hu l-mument li f’Malta tkun imfassala politika konsenswali dwar l-immigrazzjoni. Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, meta kien qed jindirizza l-aħħar konferenza stampa ta’ AD f’din il-kampanja elettorali.
Carmel Cacopardo qal li tul il-kampanja elettorali għall-Parlament Ewropew Alternattiva Demokratika iffukat fuq materji li filwaqt li kienu ta’ relevanza għal Malta jiffurmaw parti ukoll mill-aġenda tal-UE.
Id-drittijiet diġitali kif ukoll il-kontabilita/trasparenza tal-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej ser ikunu elementi essenzjali tul il-ħames snin li gejjin tal-Parlament Ewropew. Billi ffukat fuq dawn il-materji Alternattiva Demokratika fittxet li tiddibatti materji politiċi relevanti mal-partiti politici l-ohra li kkontestaw dawn l-elezzjonijiet. Sfortunatament kemm il-PN kif ukoll il-PL iktar kienu interessati li jitfgħu t-tajn lil xulxin milli jieħdu sehem f’diskussjoni politika serja.
“AD,” żied jgħid Cacopardo, “kellha l-opportunita’ li tikkummenta fuq id-dikjarazzjonijiet ta’ Jean Claude Junker u Martin Schultz, kandidati ghall-Presidenza tal-Kummissjoni Ewropeja għan-nom tal-PPE u l-Partit Soċjalista Ewropew rispettivament. Filwaqt li AD tilqa’ l-kummenti pubbliċi ta’ Junker u Schultz, tosserva għaldaqstant li dal-kummenti ma jirriżultawx mill-Manifesti Elettorali tal-partiti rispettivi.
Alternattiva Demokratika temfasizza li l-pajjiżi fuq il-fruntiera tal-UE m’għandhomx jibqgħu jerfgħu r-responsabbilta għall-migrazzjoni prattikament waħedhom. Emendi għar-regoli ta’ Dublin, flimkien mal-formolazzjoni u l-approvazzjoni ta’ politika olistika tal-UE dwar il-migrazzjoni li permezz tagħha t-28 stat membru tal-UE jieħdu fuq spallejhom ir-responabbilta’ għall-migrazzjoni mingħand l-istati fuq il-fruntiera, hi t-triq ‘il quddiem.”
Carmel Cacopardo emfasizza li tul din il-Kampanja Elettorali, bħala riżultat tad-dikjarazzjonijiet ta’ Junker u Schultz, il-posizzjoni politika kemm tal-PL kif ukoll tal-PN hi issa iktar viċin dik ta’ AD milli kienet qatt qabel. Alternattiva Demokratika jidhrilha li issa hu l-waqt li l-PL, il-PN u AD jidħlu f’diskussjonijiet biex ikun ifformulat abbozz konsenswali ta’ politika nazzjonali dwar l-immigrazzjoni li għandu jservi bħala l-bażi għal kunsens nazzjonali fuq din il-materja sensittiva.
“MEP elett f’isem Alternattiva Demokratika jaħdem biex jiffaċilita dan id-djalogu kemm lokalment kif ukoll fl-istituzzjonijiet Ewropej,” ikkonkluda Cacopardo.
Blog ta' Carmel Cacopardo 