The ‘Annual Report on EU Competition Policy’ presented by the rapporteur German MEP Langen was voted at the European Parliament in Strasbourg with 500 votes in favour, 137 against and 73 abstentions. It included various amendments relevant to Malta put forward by Maltese MEP Alfred Sant and incorporated in the final text. Dr. Sant was ‘Shadow Rapporteur’ for the Report on behalf of the group of Socialists and Democrats.
Dr. Sant’s amendments approved in the final draft of the Competition Report included calls for more socioeconomic convergence & cohesion in the EU with reference to insular regions; further margins of allowance for state aid covering transport for insular regions; preferential treatment for state aid to peripheral islands; state aid to safeguard services of general economic interest in the EU; further attention to consumer rights through the implementation of EU competition policy; the global aspect of competition rules – the Commission must take account of the impact its policy is having on EU actors vis-à-vis their international counterparts.
INSULAR REGIONS
The draft report had state aid as a main priority but lacked the social element. Therefore, Dr. Sant’s priority favoured cohesion and convergence at both territorial and social levels. The report now has a strong social element dealing with remote regions, the services such regions need, and the special Competition policy approach it should have addressed towards it.
Dr. Sant’s amendments emphasised that State intervention is often the most effective policy tool for guaranteeing the provision of services that are vital to safeguarding economic and social conditions in isolated, remote or outlying regions and islands in the Union. Companies located in regions experiencing temporary or permanent disadvantages should be supported and increased flexibility should be granted.
With regard to taxation, Dr. Sant proposed that member states must respond to different policy imperatives on the basis of their geographical location, their size, their physical and other endowments and their state of economic and social development.

STATE AID FOR TRANSPORT IN INSULAR REGIONS
Amendments to the report also featured on state aid for transport for insular regions. This is of utmost importance for both Malta as an insular region, and Gozo as an island suffering the dual insularity ‘handicap’. Such a reference is to be used on different levels including the transport of residents (as through Air Malta and the Gozo Channel), transport of tourists, normally forming the backbone of the economy for such regions, transport of manufactured goods & business connection worldwide.
Dr. Sant’s amendments included also the inclusion in the exemption to the application of EU state aid rules for social aid for the transport of residents of remote regions. The problem of connectivity is now recognised. It stresses that the connectivity of peripheral island regions is also essential for sustaining and developing acceptable levels of economic and social initiative by maintaining vital business connections.
PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR STATE AID
Another amendment by Dr. Sant in the Competition Report takes the view that remote or outlying regions and islands should be given greater leeway than at present when it comes to applying rules on State aid.
SAFEGUARDING SERVICES OF GENERAL ECONOMIC INTERESTS
Dr. Sant made sure that all mention of Services of General Economic Interests (SGEIs) has a reference to the particular situation of insular/remote regions. These services in general are to receive a special treatment for State Aid policy in order to guarantee the service wherever there is a market failure. Another amendment by Dr. Sant states that in strategic and vital sectors such as energy, transport and healthcare, states need to ensure the total security, the continuity of supply and the provision of services for all their citizens.
CONSUMER RIGHTS
Other amendments to the final report strengthened the view that Competition policy should protect the consumer not the competitors; the purpose of which is to increase the prosperity of consumers and the living standards of all EU citizens. Another amendment encouraged the Commission to increase its efforts with regards to investigations of instances of abuse of dominant market positions to the detriment of EU consumers
THE GLOBAL ASPECT OF COMPETITION

The global aspect of competition policy has been very well included in line with Dr. Sant’s amendments. Dr. Sant called on the Commission not to implement internal EU competition policy in such a way as to restrict firms’ market strategies, so that they can compete on world markets with actors from outside the EU. Other amendments included in the final document refer to social dumping, the digital sector, consumer rights as regarding banking, state aid to banks, and taxation.

Maltese Version – IL-PARLAMENT EWROPEW JAPPROVA R-RAPPORT DWAR IL-KOMPETIZZJONI KIF EMENDAT MINN ALFRED SANT

Il-Parlament Ewropew approva ‘Ir-Rapport Annwali dwar il-Politika tal-Kompetizzjoni’ ippreżentat mir-rapporteur Ġermaniż u MPE Langen. Ir-rapport kien jinkludi numru ta’ emendi rilevanti għal Malta u li ġew inklużi fit-test finali mill-Membru Parlamentari Malti Alfred Sant. Dr Sant kien ‘Shadow Rapporteur’ għar-rapport għan-nom tal-Grupp tas-Soċjalisti u Demokratiċi. Ir-rapport għadda b’500 vot favur, 137 kontra u 73 astensjoni.
L-emendi ta’ Dr Sant fir-rapport finali jinkludu għajta favur aktar konverġenza u koeżjoni soċjali u ekonomika fi ħdan l-Unjoni Ewropea b’referenza speċjali għal reġjuni insulari; marġini aktar wiesa’ fl-għotja tal-għajnuna tal-istat fil-qasam tat-trasport f’żoni insulari; trattament speċjali għall-istati gżejjer f’dak li għandu x’jaqsam mal-għajnuna tal-istat; għajnuna tal-istat biex ikunu mħarsa servizzi ta’ interess ekonomiku ġenerali tal-UE; aktar attenzjoni lejn id-drittijiet tal-konsumatur bl-implimentazzjoni tal-politika tal-kompetizzjoni tal-UE; l-aspett globali tar-regoli tal-kompetizzjoni li jenfasizzaw li l-Kummissjoni trid tikkunsidra l-impatt li l-politika tagħha qed ikollha fuq imprendituri Ewropej vis-à-vis intraprendituri internazzjonali.
REĠJUNI INSULARI
Bħala prijorita`, l-abbozz tar-rapport kien isemmi l-għajnuna tal-istat imma ftit li xejn kien jitkellem dwar l-element soċjali. Prijorita` ta’ Dr Sant kienet aktar konverġenza u koeżjoni soċjali u ekonomika fl-Unjoni Ewropea speċjalmet f’żoni rurali. Il-prijorita` ta’ Dr Sant kienet li jkun inkluż l-element favur il-koeżjoni u l-konverġenza kemm fuq livell territorjali u kif ukoll fuq livell soċjali. Permezz ta’ din il-ħidma, ir-rapport finali issa għandu element soċjali qawwi li jitkellem dwar żoni remoti, is-servizzi li huma meħtieġa f’żoni ta’ dan it-tip, u l-politika tal-kompetizzjoni li għandha tkun speċjali għal dawn iż-żoni.
L-emendi ta’ Dr Sant jenfasizzaw li l-intervent tal-istat ħafna drabi jkun l-iktar għodda effettiva li tiggarantixxi l-għotja tas-servizzi li huma vitali għall-ħarsien tal-kundizzjonijiet ekonomiċi u soċjali f’żoni iżolati, remoti, fil-periferija jew stati gżejjer tal-Ewropa. Ġie enfasizzat li dawk il-kumpaniji li jinsabu f’żoni bi żvantaġġi temporanji jew permanenti jingħataw appoġġ u flessibilita`.
TASSAZZJONI
Rigward it-tassazzjoni, Dr Sant ippropona li l-istati membri għandhom jirrispondu għal politika li tikkunsidra l-pożizzjoni ġeografika tal-pajjiż membru, id-daqs, ir-riżorsi u l-iżvilupp ekonomiku u soċjali.
IT-TRASPORT F’REĠJUNI INSULARI
Saru emendi dwar l-għajnuna tal-istat fil-qasam tat-trasport għal żoni insulari. Dan huwa importanti ħafna għal Malta bħala reġjun insulari, u għal Għawdex li għandha l-iżvantaġġ ta’ insularita` doppja. Din ir-referenza qed tintuża fuq livelli differenti li jinkludu t-trasport għar-residenti (permezz tal-Air Malta u tal-Gozo Channel), trasport għat-turisti li jagħtu l-ossiġenu lill-ekonomija ta’ reġjuni ta’ dan it-tip, it-trasport tal-prodotti manifatturati u l-konnettivita` għall-kummerċ dinji.
L-emendi ta’ Dr Sant jirreferu għall-esklużjoni tal-applikazzjoni tar-regoli ta’ ‘State Aid’ rigward l-għajnuna soċjali għat-trasport tar-residenti f’żoni remoti. Ġiet rikonoxxuta l-konnettivita` ta’ stati gżejjer fil-periferija bħala essenzjali għas-sostenn u l-iżvilupp ekonomiku u soċjali. Dan isir billi tinżamm il-konnettivita` għal kummerċ.
TRATTAMENT PREFERENZJALI GĦAL ‘STATE AID’
Emenda oħra mressqa minn Dr Sant tisħaq fuq trattament speċjali fir-rigward tal-liġijiet tal-għajnuna tal-istat lil gżejjer, żoni remoti u fil-periferija tal-Ewropa. L-emenda tgħid li dawn jeħtieġu li r-regoli tal-għajnuna tal-istat ikunu aktar laxki milli huma fil-preżent.
IS-SERVIZZI TA’ INTERESSI EKONOMIĊI
Dr Sant aċċerta ruħu li kull meta jissemmew l-interessi tas-servizzi ekonomiċi ġenerali, dejjem ikun hemm riferenza għas-sitwazzjoni partikulari ta’ reġjuni insulari u remoti. Dan biex tkun garantita l-għajnuna tal-istat kull meta jkun hemm falliment fis-suq. Emenda oħra ta’ Dr Sant tisħaq li f’setturi strateġiċi u vitali bħall-enerġija, it-trasport u s-saħħa, l-istati iridu jiżguraw is-sigurta` sħiħa, il-kontinwita` u l-provvediment tas-servizz liċ-ċittadini kollha tagħhom.
DRITTIJIET TAL-KONSUMATUR
Emendi oħra kienu dwar id-drittijiet tal-konsumatur permezz tal-implimentazzjoni tal-politika tal-Unjoni Ewropea. L-għan ewlieni tal-politika tal-kompetizzjoni trid tkun dik li tipproteġi l-konsumatur u mhux lil kompetituri. Dan ifisser li l-konsumaturi jirċievu l-prodott finali kif inhu meħtieġ u bi prezz raġjonevoli. Il-kompetizzjoni, ħielsa u ġusta, ssir bl-għan li tiżdied il-prosperita` tal-konsumaturi u l-livell ta’ għixien taċ-ċittadini kollha tal-UE. Emenda oħra inkoraġġiet lil Kummissjoni biex iżżid l-isforz tagħha fl-investigazzjonijiet dwar abbuż ta’ pożizzjonijiet dominanti fis-suq li jkunu ta’ detriment lil konsumaturi.
L-ASPETT GLOBALI TAL-KOMPETIZZJONI
L-aspett globali tal-politika tal-kompetizzjoni daħlet ukoll fir-rapport finali. Dr Sant saħaq li l-Kummissjoni ma għandhiex timplimenta politika interna dwar il-kompetizzjoni li tirrestrinġi l-istrateġiji li jistgħu jużaw il-kumpaniji fis-suq. B’hekk ikunu jistgħu jikkompetu fis-swieq dinjija lil hinn minn dawk Ewropej. Emendi oħra inklużi fid-dokument finali huma dwar is-settur diġitali, id-drittijiet tal-konsumatur f’dak li għandu x’jaqsam mal-banek, l-għajnuna tal-istat għal banek u t-tassazzjoni.

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