Rakkomandazzjonijiet

Ninsabu f’dak il-perijodu tal-istaġun Ewropew fejn il-Kummissjoni Ewropea, wara li tkun fliet l-ekonomija tal-pajjiżi membri u ħarġet it-tbassir tagħha dwar l-andament ekonomiku fil-bqija tas-sena u għas-sena d-dieħla, tagħmel ir-”rakkomandazzjonijiet” tagħha. Dawn ikunu indirizzati lill-pajjiżi membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea dwar x’għandhom jagħmlu differenti jew aħjar milli qed jagħmlu, biex jissodisfaw ir-regoli ta’ tmexxija tal-Unjoni u/jew taż-żona ewro. Kif ukoll biex iżidu fir-rankatura ekonomika tagħhom.

Ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet jiġu diskussi fil-Parlament Ewropew u fil-Kunsill tal-Ministri. Tal-aħħar jiddeċiedi dwarhom u jekk jaqbel fuqhom, ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet isiru tassattivi – tal-anqas fuq il-karta.

Sena wara l-oħra, l-ilment li jitqajjem – l-aktar fil-Parlament Ewropew – hu li fil-biċċa l-kbira tagħhom, ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet jew jiġu injorati fil-prattika jew it-twettiq tagħhom jitħalla nofs leħja. Ilment ieħor ukoll ikun li l-Kummissjoni toħroġ wisq rakkomandazzjonijiet u mhux possibbli li kollha jistgħu jitwettqu – jew anki għandhom jitwettqu – fl-istess ħin.

Dis-sena, il-Kummissjoni laqgħet għal dan l-aħħar ilment billi naqqset l-għadd ta’ rakkomandazzjonijiet li għamlet.

L-ewwel ilment naħseb li se jibqa’ jinstema’. Li wħud mir-rakkomandazzjonijiet jibqgħu ma jitwettqux, hi ħaġa li ma tantx tinkwetani. M’iniex konvint li l-Kummissjoni Ewropea għandha xi monopolju fuq l-għerf dwar it-tmexxija ekonomika fl-Ewropa.

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Biedja f’Għawdex

Kif wieħed seta’ jistenna, it-tħaddim tal-politika agrikola tal-Unjoni Ewropea kienet ta’ dannu għall-biedja Għawdxija. Dan baqa’ jitgħatta taħt is-sussidji li nħarġu, għalkemm mhux kollha marru fil-bwiet tal-bdiewa.

Issa, hemm ħtieġa strateġika biex il-biedja f’Għawdex tinżamm ħajja u viabbli. Regoli li japplikaw għal kulħadd l-istess fl-Ewropa jimminawha mhux jagħtuha n-nifs. Imma l-politika agrikola komuni tal-Unjoni Ewropea mhix se tinbidel mil-lum għal għada.

Li neħtieġu huma inizjattivi speċjali għal Għawdex li jirkbu fuq il-karattru partikolari tal-biedja hemm, biex joħolqu prodotti li huma ta’ Għawdex biss.

Waqt laqgħa dan l-aħħar mal-mexxejja tal-koperattiva tal-bdiewa Għawdxin fil-kumpless tal-Gozitano, ħadt gost nara li issa daħal għarfien aħjar tal-ħtieġa għal strateġija kreattiva biex tħares il-futur tal-biedja.

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Orkestra taż-żgħażagħ

Dnub kbir li l-Orkestra taż-Żgħażagħ tal-Unjoni Ewropea se jkollha tingħalaq. Dan għax ma ngħatatx fondi għall-proġetti tagħha mill-programmi finanzjarji tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea, li mhijiex aktar tiffinanzja direttament il-baġit tal-Orkestra.

Hu dnub għax fl-Orkestra ħafna żgħażagħ – speċjalment minn pajjiżi żgħar bħal tagħna – kienu jsibu opportunità biex jitħarrġu fil-prattika mużikali ma’ artisti barranin. Esperjenza hekk tiswa mitqilha deheb fil-binja ta’ karriera ta’ artisti żgħażagħ.

Nhar il-Ġimgħa li għaddiet, f’Malta u f’pajjiżi oħra tal-Unjoni saret protesta simbolika kontra dak li qed jiġri. Il-kwistjoni ma qajmitx interess qawwi fostna.

Mentri naħseb li jixirqilha attenzjoni daqs dik li tajna lill-Eurovision. U m’iniex ngħaġġibha.

English Version – Recommendations

We find ourselves at that period of the European semester when the European Commission, having examined the economies of the member states and issued its forecast for the rest of the year and for next year, presents its ”recommendations”. Addressed to member states, these propose what they should do differently, or better, from what is being done now, in order to satisfy the management rules of the Union and/or the eurozone. Proposals also target an improvement in the rates of economic growth.

The recommendations are discussed in the European Parliament and by the Council of Ministers. The latter decides about them and if there is agreement, recommendations become binding, at least on paper.

Year in year out, the recurring complaint – made especially in the European Parliament – is that in their great majority, recommendations either get ignored in practice, or their implementation is abandoned half way through.

Another criticism has been that the Commission comes out with too many recommendations and it is hardly possible to implement all of them; nor should they all be implemented at the same time.

This year, the Commission has responded to the last point by reducing the number of its recommendations.

I guess that the first point at issue will not go away. Indeed it is not too worrying if some recommendations get sidelined. One needs to be convinced that the European Commission has some monopoly on the provision of good advice regarding economic management in Europe.

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Farming in Gozo

As was to be expected, implementation of the EU’s common agricultural policy was detrimental to farming in Gozo. This has been screened by the subsidies that were extended, even if they did not all go to farmers.

However, there is a strategic need for Gozo’s agriculture to be kept alive and viable. The one size fits all rules that come from Europe certainly do not promote this – they undermine it. But the EU’s common agricultural policy will not fade away overnight.

What we therefore need are special initiatives designed for Gozo that fit the particular conditions of farming there, while creating products that are specific to the island.

During a recent meeting with the leaders of the cooperative of Gozitan farmers at their Gozitano complex, I was glad to see that a better awareness is now in place regarding the need for a creative strategy by which to safeguard the future of farming.

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Young people’s orchestra

It’s surely not right that the European Union Youth Orchestra is going to be dismantled. The European Commission is no longer directly funding the Orchestra’s budget and has not approved financing from its funds for projects put forward by the Orchestra.

This is a pity because many young people, especially those coming from smaller countries like ours, were provided by the Orchestra with an opportunity to gain performance practice in music alongside foreign artists. Such an experience can be priceless in the development of young artists’ careers.

Last Friday, in Malta and other EU countries a symbolic protest was organised against what has been going on. The matter failed to generate much interest here.

For my part, I believe it merited attention on the scale of that mobilised for Eurovision. In saying this, I do not think I’m exagerrating.