Alfred Sant: L-Unjoni Ewropea għandha tagħti prijorità akbar lill-pajjiżi tan-Nofsinhar tal-Mediterran li jinsabu viċin tagħha

L-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant astjena fuq rapport tal-Parlament Ewropew dwar ‘Sħubija mġedda mal-Viċinat tan-Nofsinhar – Aġenda ġdida għall-Mediterran’. Huwa saħaq li l-approċċ politiku minn fuq għal isfel lejn l-affarijiet tan-Nofsinhar tal-Mediterran min-naħa Ewropea mhux qed iħalli riżultati pożittivi. “Wieħed mir-riżultati ta’ dan kien in-nuqqas ta’ ħila li jiġi spjegat għoti u teħid aċċettabbli reċiprokament, politikament u ekonomikament, bejn it-Tramuntana u n-Nofsinhar”, qal Sant.

Il-MPE Laburista Sant innota li r-rapport jonqos milli jindirizza kwistjonijiet ewlenin relatati mar-relazzjonijiet ekonomiċi u kummerċjali bejn l-Ewropa u l-pajjiżi li jinsabu fil-viċinanzi tagħha fin-Nofsinhar tal-Mediterran. Barra minn hekk, huwa esprima tħassib li l-eżistenza tal-Unjoni Ewropea nnifisha qed isservi biex tenfasizza l-qasma ċara li teżisti bejn it-tramuntana u n-nofsinhar kif qed tkompli turi l-kriżi tal-migrazzjoni minn ħin għal ieħor.

Fl-2020, il-Kunsill Ewropew enfasizza l-ħtieġa li tiġi żviluppata Aġenda ġdida għall-Viċinat tan-Nofsinhar. €7 biljun se jiġu allokati għall-implimentazzjoni tal-istrument il-ġdid tal-Viċinat, l-Iżvilupp u l-Kooperazzjoni Internazzjonali tal-Unjoni Ewropea (NDICI) għall-perjodu 2021-2027. Żewġ objettivi tal-aġenda l-ġdida huma li tiġġieled it-tibdil fil-klima u titħaffef it-tranżizzjoni ekoloġika u diġitali.

Sant sostna li l-Ewropa għadha ma sabitx il-lingwaġġ u l-istrumenti t-tajbin li bihom tittratta b’mod verament proattiv u vijabbli, fit-tul, mal-viċinat tagħha tan-Nofsinhar (tal-Mediterran). L-effetti tal-wirt tal-kolonjaliżmu għadhom iservu biex ifixklu r-relazzjonijiet ekonomiċi u kummerċjali bejn l-Ewropa u n-Nofsinhar tal-Mediterran, bil-materja prima tibqa’ bħala l-aktar ħaġa li żżomm ir-rabtiet politiċi u ekonomiċi għaddejja, huwa innota. Barra minn hekk, ftit li xejn kien hemm konverġenza bejn l-istrutturi politiċi interni taż-żewġ naħat.

Ir-rapport ġie adottat b’488 vot favur, 37 kontra u 106 astensjoni.

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Alfred Sant: The European Union should give greater priority to the Southern Mediterranean Neighbourhood

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant has abstained on a European Parliament report on a ‘Renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood – A new agenda for the Mediterranean’. He stressed that the political top down approach towards southern Mediterranean affairs by the European side is not bearing fruit. “One result has been an inability to define a mutually acceptable give and take, politically and economically, between north and south”, Sant said.

Labour MEP Sant noted that the report fails to address major issues related to economic and commercial relations between Europe and its southern Mediterranean neighbourhood. Besides, he expressed concern that the existence of the European Union itself is serving to emphasise the clear frontier that exists between north and south as the migration off-and-on crisis continues to demonstrate.

In 2020, the European Council highlighted the need to develop a new Agenda for the Southern Neighbourhood. €7 billion will be allocated to the implementation of the new European Union’s Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation instrument (NDICI) for the period 2021-2027. Two objectives of the new agenda are to fight climate change and speed up the green and digital transition.

Sant argued that Europe still has not found the right language and instruments with which to deal in a really proactive and viable way, long term, with its southern (Mediterranean) neighbourhood. The legacy effects of colonialism still serve to thwart the economic and commercial relations between Europe and the southern Mediterranean, with raw materials remaining as their enduring anchor, he noted. Furthermore, there has been little to no convergence between the internal political structures of the two sides.

The report was adopted with 488 votes in favour, 37 against and 106 abstentions.