Ir-rapport ta’ attivitajiet ta’ Alfred Sant għas-sena 2022 preżentat lill-Konferenza Ġenerali tal-Partit Laburista

Bħala negozjatur għall-grupp tas-Soċjalisti u d-Demokratiċi (S&D) fil-Parlament Ewropew, kelli responsabbiltà fit-tħejjija ta’ dawn il-liġijiet Ewropej u rapporti fil-kumitat ekonomiku u finanzjarju tal-Parlament Ewropew dwar:

• miżuri ġodda u komprensivi għall-banek u istituzzjonijiet finanzjariji Ewropej kollha dwar sigurtà fit-tmexxija tas-sistemi diġitali tagħhom – f’liġi imsemmija DORA  li se tkun essenzjali għas-sigurta ta’ kif il-fondi ta’ biljuni ta’ depożitanti se jiġu mħarsa minn serq u tbagħbis;
• l-iżvilupp tal-Unjoni Ewropea fis-swieq monetarji u kapitali;
• emendi fil-proposti li jridu jippublikaw kumpaniji żgħar u medji meta joħorġu offerti għal ishma ġodda fi żmien ta’ kriżi;
• id-differenza bejn dak li l-gvernijiet suppost idaħħlu mit-taxxa tal-VAT u dak li tassew idaħħlu (“VAT gap”);
• l-Att dwar is-Servizzi Diġitali;
• ir-Regolament ġdid dwar  is-sussidji barranin, fejn spiċċajt f’minoranza assoluta għax b’xejn ma naqbel ma’ din il-liġi u nqis li la hi fl-interess ta’ Malta u lanqas tal-Unjoni Ewropea.

Ressaqt emendi sinifikattivi, ħafna minnhom ġew aċċettati, uħud għadhom pendenti – l-aktar mil-lat tal-ħarsien tal-interessi ta’ gżejjer (bħal Malta) u ta’ żoni periferali fl-Unjoni Ewropea – fuq dawn il-liġijiet Ewropej u rapporti:

• l-EU Chips Act, maħsuba biex tippromowovi l-produzzjoni ta’ elementi ta’ kompjuter fosthom elementi bħal dawk li tipproduċi l-ST f’Malta;;
• id-Direttiva  dwar it-Tassazzjoni tal-Enerġija (Energy Taxation Directive) li qed tipproponi żieda qawwija fuq it-taxxa tal-pitrolju li jużaw l-ajruplani;
• Regolament propost dwar l-“Alternative Investment Fund Managers”;
• id-direttiva Ewropea hekk imsejħa “Unshell”, dwar kumpaniji li jġorru fihom kumpaniji oħra biex jevitaw it-taxxa;
• il-Pakkett Bankarju  (Banking Package);
• il-miżuri li qed jitqiesu biex jingħarfu s-sogri fil-qasam tal-“crypto assets”;
• ir-rapport annwali tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea dwar il-kompetizzjoni;
• REPower EU, fl-oqsma dwar kif se jiġi finanzjat il-Green Deal.

Ħadt sehem f’dawn il-konferenzi Ewropej bħala wieħed mill-kelliema ewlenin, dwar:

• Big Data and Cloud;
• Cyber Security : QED;
• Resiljenza Finanzjarja (FERMA);
• Il-futur tal-insurances taħt Solvency 2 (Kangaroo group);
• Relazzjonijiet Ewropa-Ċina (Chinese Chamber of Commerce).

Ipparteċipajt f’konferenza bejn il-Parlament Ewropew u l-Parlamenti nazzjonali tal-pajjizi membri tal-Unjoni fi Praga dwar ir-riformi meħtieġa biex titjieb it-tmexxija taż-żona ewro.

Ħadt sehem fil-laqgħat regolari tal-mexxejja tad-delegazzjonijiet nazzjonali fi ħdan il-grupp tas-soċjalisti u d-demokratici (S&D) b’linja kostanti kontra t-tneħħija tar-regola tal-unanimità fil-qasam tad-deċiżjonijiet Ewropej, speċjalment f’materji ta’ taxxa; l-introduzzjoni ta’ kostitwenzi magħmula minn pajjiżi different fl-elezzjonijiet Ewropej; u d-dħul ta’ taxxi ġodda Ewropej – u favur politika Ewropea aktar effettiva fil-qasam tal-immigrazzjoni.

L-uffiċċju tiegħi tella’ bl-appoġġ tal-grupp tas-S&D sensiela ta’ programmi televiżivi informattivi dwar temi Maltin u Ewropej fuq il-kanal televiżiv fliving, kull ġimgħatejn, bis-sehem ta’ esperti. Issir riċerka apposta għal kull programm.

Alfred Sant’s report of activities for 2022 presented to the General Conference of the Labour Party

As the negotiator for the Socialist and Democrats (S&D) Group in the European Parliament, I was in charge for preparing European laws and reports in the Economic and Financial Committee of the European Parliament regarding:

• new and comprehensive measures for all European banks and financial institutions regarding security in the management of their digital systems – in a regulation labelled as DORA. This will be essential for the security of how the funds of billions of depositors will be protected from theft and tampering;
• the development of the European Union in the monetary and capital markets;
• amendments in the proposals that need to be published by small and medium companies when issuing offers for new shares in times of crisis;
• the difference between the funds that governments are supposed to collect from VAT and what they actually bring in (“VAT gap”);
• the Digital Services Act;
• the new regulation to counteract foreign subsidies, I ended up in an absolute minority because I disagree totally with this law and consider that it is neither in the interests of Malta nor of the EU;

I submitted significant amendments, most of them adopted, some still pending – mostly from the point of view of protecting the interests of islands and of peripheral areas in the EU – on the following European laws and reports:

• the European Union Chips Act, intended to promote the production of computer elements. These include elements such as those produced by ST in Malta;
• the Energy Taxation Directive which is proposing a sharp increase on the tax on the petroleum used by airplanes;
• proposed regulation on “Alternative Investment Fund Managers”;
• the so-called “Unshell” European directive, on misuse of shell entities for tax avoidance purposes;
• the Banking Package 
• the measures that are being considered to identify risks in “crypto-assets”;
• the European Commission’s annual report on competition;
• REPower EU, in the areas of how the Green Deal will be financed

I took part in these European conferences as one of the main speakers, on:

• Big Data and Cloud;
• Cyber Security: QED;
• Financial Resilience (FERMA);
• The future of insurances and under Solvency 2 (Kangaroo group);
• European-China relations (Chinese Chamber of Commerce).

I participated in a conference between the European Parliament and the national Parliament of the Union’s Member States in Prague. This dealt with the reforms needed to improve the management of the euro zone.

I took part in the regular meeting of the leaders of the national delegations within the group of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) opposing strongly the removal of the rule of unanimity in the field of European decisions, in particular on tax matters; the introduction of constituencies made up of different countries in the European elections; and the introduction of new European taxes – and in favor of a more effective European policy in the field of immigration.

My office uploaded with the support of the S&D group a series of informative television programmes covering Maltese and European issues. The programme is being run on Fliving channel, every two weeks with the participation of experts. Every programme carries informative features based on on in-house research.