Alfred Sant: Li titbiegħed mill-unanimità mhux se jkun ta’ vantaġġ għal Malta

L-eks Prim Ministru u MPE Laburista Alfred Sant wissa li qed isiru sforzi qawwija biex tkun kontrollata r-regola tal-unanimità f’numru ta’ oqsma politiċi ewlenin fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Dawn jinkludu t-tassazzjoni, il-politika barranija u tad-difiża, l-immigrazzjoni u xi aspetti tal-ġestjoni finanzjarja tal-Unjoni Ewropea.

Il-MPE Sant irrikonoxxa li t-tbegħid mill-unanimità mhux bilfors ifisser li dan dejjem ikollu impatt negattiv fuq l-interessi Maltin. Madanakollu, huwa saħaq li meta kollox jitqies fil-kuntest tiegħu l-abbandun tal-unanimità jkollu effett negattiv fuq il-pożizzjoni diplomatika tal-Gżejjer Maltin fil-kuntest Ewropew.

Ir-regola tal-unanimità tiżgura li xi deċiżjonijiet jistgħu jittieħdu biss bil-qbil tal-Istati Membri kollha. Ir-regola tal-unanimità tissalvagwardja l-pożizzjoni tal-Istati Membri inklużi l-iżgħar stati, dwar kwistjonijiet li għadhom ma ddaħħlux fil-kompetenzi tal-Unjoni Ewropea, u li huma jqisu bħala ta’ interess nazzjonali vitali.

Sant issuġġerixxa li approċċi bħal dawn huma “federalisti” fl-intenzjoni tagħhom għax ifittxu li jistabbilixxu governanza aktar ċentralizzata fi ħdan l-Unjoni Ewropea. Din il-linja ta’ ħsieb qed titmexxa ‘l quddiem minn xi gvernijiet, b’mod partikolari Franza, il-Kummissjoni Ewropea, kif ukoll maġġoranza ta’ membri li jirrappreżentaw iċ-ċentru lemin u ċ-ċentru xellug fil-Parlament Ewropew, huwa wissa.

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Alfred Sant: Moving away from unanimity will not be in Malta’s advantage 

Former Prime Minister and Labour MEP Alfred Sant has warned that strong efforts are being deployed to rein back the unanimity rule in a number of key policy areas in the European Union. These include taxation, foreign and defence policies, immigration and some aspects of the European Union’s financial management.

MEP Sant acknowledged that moving away from unanimity does not necessarily mean that this will always have a negative impact on Maltese interests. However, he emphasized that when taking everything into account abandoning unanimity would have a negative effect on the diplomatic position of the Maltese Islands in the European context. 

The unanimity rule ensures that some decisions can only be taken with the agreement of all Member States. The unanimity rule safeguards the position of Member States including the smallest ones, on issues that have not yet been drawn into the competences of the European Union, and which they consider to be of vital national interest.

Sant opined that such approaches are “federalist” in intent because they seek to establish a more centralised governance of the European Union. This line of thought is being pushed forward by some governments, in particular France, the European Commission, as well as a majority of members representing the centre right and centre left in the European Parliament, he warned.