Sant jitkellem dwar l-impatti potenzjalment negattivi tar-Regolament tas-Sussidji Barranin tal-Unjoni Ewropea

Waqt skambju ta’ fehmiet dwar l-impatt fuq l-ekonomija Ewropea tar-Regolament Ġdid tal-Unjoni Ewropea dwar is-Sussidji Barranin tax-Xogħol il-MPE Sant innota li r-regolament huwa fundamentalment difettuż minħabba diversi raġunijiet.

L-iskambju ta’ fehmiet sar waqt diskussjoni ospitata u organizzata mill-Malta Enterprise dwar l-implimentazzjoni prattika u r-riżultati potenzjali tad-Dossier tas-Sussidji Barranin. Il-parteċipanti l-oħra kienu Eddy De Smijter mill-Kummissjoni Ewropea – Direttorat-Ġenerali għall-Kompetizzjoni u l-President tal-Kamra tal-Kummerċ ta’ Malta Marisa Xuereb.

Ir-Regolament dwar is-Sussidji Barranin għandu l-għan li jindirizza l-effett ta’ distorsjoni li s-sussidji barranin jista’ jkollhom fuq il-funzjonament tas-suq intern. Waħda mill-miżuri stabbiliti minn dan ir-Regolament tagħti s-setgħa esklussiva lill-Kummissjoni Ewropea biex tinvestiga funzjonijiet jew akkwisti ta’ sehem ta’ kontroll iffinanzjat minn sorsi barranin li setgħu bbenefikaw minn sussidji esterni.

“L-arranġamenti biex jiġu miġġielda s-sussidji mogħtija lill-investimenti li ġejjin minn barra l-Unjoni kellhom jiġu ttrattati fil-livell tal-Organizzazzjoni Dinjija tal-Kummerċ aktar milli fil-livell Ewropew”, issuġġerixxa Sant. Barra minn hekk, huwa saħaq li l-arranġamenti settorjali biex jiġu miġġielda s-sussidji barranin setgħu kienu alternattiva aħjar milli jiġu ġeneralizzati permezz ta’ regolament dettaljat li jista’ jirriskja li jżid il-burokrazija u l-burokrazija għall-investimenti li għadu ġej. Minħabba f’hekk inaqqas ukoll l-interess għal investiment dirett barrani f’żoni u gżejjer periferali tal-Unjoni Ewropea.

Sant appella wkoll għal aktar ċarezza dwar kif il-Kummissjoni Ewropea se twettaq investigazzjoni dwar ftehimiet kummerċjali li qed jiġu konklużi ma’ msieħba barranin.

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Sant on the potential negative impacts of the European Union’s Foreign Subsidies Regulation

During an exchange of views on the impact on the European economy of New European Union Regulation on Foreign Subsidies Labour MEP Sant noted that the regulation is on various counts fundamentally flawed. 

The exchange of views took place during a panel discussion hosted and organised by Malta Enterprise on the practical implementation and potential outcomes of the Foreign Subsidies Dossier. The other participants were Eddy De Smijter from the European Commission – Directorate-General for Competition and the Malta Chamber President Marisa Xuereb.

The Foreign Subsidies Regulation aims to address the distortive effect foreign subsidies might have on the functioning of the internal market. One of the measures established by this Regulation gives exclusive power to the European Commission to investigate mergers or acquisitions of a controlling stake funded by foreign sources which might have benefitted from outside subsidies.

“Arrangements to counter subsidies given to investments coming from outside the Union should have been dealt with at World Trade Organization level rather than European level”, Sant suggested. Besides, he stressed that sectoral arrangements to counter foreign subsidies may have been a better alternative than generalizing through a comprehensive regulation which might risk increasing red tape and bureaucracy for incoming investments. As a result of this also reducing the appetite for foreign direct investment in peripheral European Union areas and islands.

Sant also called for more clarity on how the European Commission will carry out investigation about business deals being concluded with foreign partners.