Il-Parlament Ewropew għandu jadatta għal realtajiet ġodda tal-koronavirus billi juża l-Internet

F’ittra lill-Iratxe Garcia Perez, President tal-Grupp tas-Socjalisti u Demokratiċi, b’rabta mal-preparamenti għas-sessjonijiet plenarji ta’ Marzu u April, l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant qal li jkun irresponsabbli għall-Parlament jekk jiltaqa’ bħas-soltu. Huwa żied li l-bażi legali għal arranġament ta’ kriżi bħal din trid tkun stabbilita b’mod rigoruż fuq il-bażi ta’ awtorità delegata mogħtija lill-Konferenza tal-Presidenti fil-Parament Ewropew.

Il-Membri tal-Parlament Ewropew li ġejjin minn stati membri diversi jiffaċċjaw sitwazzjonijiet differenti minn xulxin. Jekk il-votazzjoni fil-plenarja hi kkunsidrata bħala sine qua non, allura imissu jkun hemm il-bażi legali sabiex il-voti jittieħdu permezz tal-Internet.

Mhix biss kwistjoni tas-saħħa personali tal-Membri tal-Parlament Ewropew iżda l-problema vera hija li l-plenarja tal-Parlament Ewropew innifisha tista’ tipprovdi pjattaforma ġdida għat-tixrid tal-koronavirus fil-pajjiżi differenti tagħna.

Ma’ dan għandu jiżdied il-konsiderazzjoni li r-regoli tal-kwarantina qed jiġu applikati f’pajjiżi differenti inkluz Malta.

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The European Parliament should adapt to new coronavirus realities by using Internet platforms

In a letter to Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of S&D Group, in relation to the preparations for the March and April plenary sessions, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant said it would be irresponsible for the Parliament to meet as usual. He added that legal groundings for such a crisis arrangement must be established rigorously on the basis of a delegated authority given to the Conference of Presidents.

MEPs coming from different member states face different situations. If plenary voting is considered to be a sine qua non, then the legal grounding for votes to be taken by Internet should be found.

It is not just a question of the personal health of MEPs but the real problem is that the plenary of the European Parliament itself could provide a new platform for the dissemination of coronavirus in our different countries.

To which should be added the consideration that as quarantine rules are being applied in different countries, return to our home state will quite