Small EU island states cannot be treated like the centre of Europe

State aid rules within the European Union are being applied to peripheral or isolated regions and islands as if they belong to the mainstream and better endowed centres of the Union. This approach cannot be justified by the argument that structural and cohesion funds already compensate for the disadvantages with which these territories are burdened. They do not. The sectors of communications’ infrastructures, aid to small and medium enterprises, energy, the protection of traditional small scale activities in small islands like Malta and Gozo do not carry systemic significance in the context of the continental single market. To apply to these regions, the same treatment as for the centre of Europe, is helping to increase structural disparities that already exist between the centre and the periphery of the European Union.
Maltese MEP Alfred Sant made these remarks at the Plenary Session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg which started debating the Commission’s ‘Annual Competition Report for 2014’. Dr. Sant is the Shadow Rapporteur for the Report which aims at giving a thorough criticism of the Commission’s past work and focuses on the whole of the Almunia Commission (2009-2014). The Report is of special reference to small island states. It makes a series of references to the importance that when applying competition rules, the Commission should take special consideration of the social and economic impacts on peripheral and insular regions of the EU. It refers to insular regions – aiming at socioeconomic convergence & cohesion in the EU; State Aid for transport for insular regions ; State Aid to safeguard services of general economic interests in the EU; Consumer rights through the implementation of EU Competition policy.
Dr. Sant told the European Parliament that the Competition Report also raises the concerns about the scope, the powers and the methods of the Director-General for Competition . ‘Its remit amounts to one of the most powerful tools in the executive kit of the European Commission, indeed, of the European Union. The Director-General for Competition has the power to set and change market rules within the Union, affecting a wide range of economic and financial issues. It can – does – issue orders to governments, corporations big and small, regarding decisions they have taken or need to take. It is run by competent technocrats operating under the overall mantle of the Commission. In arriving at decisions, the Director-General carries out inquiries and investigations, following an opaque process of negotiations that happens mostly behind closed doors.’

The Maltese MEP said there is an urgent need to review the modus operandi of the Director-General for Competition, as well as to reform its organization. ‘Political, economic, social, personal, national factors enter into play. In this, being big is of greater account than being small. There is little transparency, hardly any accountability. More: there is an overlap between those whose job it is to set the rules, and those implementing them. The two roles – of setting rules and of implementing them – should be institutionally separate and both should adopt more transparent methods.’ Dr. Sant insisted.

Maltese Version – GŻEJJER ŻGĦAR MEMBRI TAL-UE M’GĦANDHOMX IKUNU TRATTATI BĦALL-PAJJIŻI ĊENTRALI TAL-EWROPA

Ir-regoli tal-għajnuna tal-istat tal-UE qed ikunu applikati f’żoni iżolati u dawk fil-periferija tal-Ewropa bl-istess mod kif qed ikunu applikati fil-pajjiżi ċentrali Ewropej li huma mogħnija b’ħafna aktar riżorsi. Dan l-aġir ma jistax ikun ġustifikat bl-argument li l-fondi strutturali u l-fondi ta’ koeżjoni qed jagħmlu tajjeb għall-iżvantaġġi li jġarrbu dawn l-inħawi għax mhux hekk qed jiġri. L-infrastruttura fl-oqsma tal-komunikazzjoni, l-għajnuna lill-intrapriżi żgħar u medji, l-enerġija, il-protezzjoni ta’ attivitajiet tradizzjonali ċkejkna fil-gżejjer żgħar bħal Malta u Għawdex ma jħallux effett fil-kuntest tas-suq kontinentali wieħed. Li tapplika l-istess trattament kemm għal dawn ir-reġjuni u kemm għal reġjuni fiċ-ċentru tal-Ewropa, qed iwassal biex jiżdiedu d-differenzi strutturali li diġa` jeżistu bejn iċ-ċentru u l-periferija tal-Unjoni Ewropea.

Il-Membru Parlamentari Alfred Sant qal dan fis-sessjoni plenarja tal-Parlament Ewropew fi Strasburgu waqt id-dibattu tal-Kummissjoni bl-isem ta’ ‘Ir-Rapport Annwali tal-Kompetizzjoni għall-2014’. Dr Sant huwa ‘Shadow Rapporteur’ għar-Rapport li għandu l-għan li jikkritika bir-reqqa x-xogħol li sar mill-Kummissjoni fil-passat, jiġifieri fil-Kummissjoni ta’ Almunia (2009-2014). Ir-rapport għandu rilevanza speċjali għall-istati membri ż-żgħar. Dan għaliex isemmi numru ta’ referenzi dwar l-importanza li meta jkunu applikati r-regoli tal-kompetizzjoni, il-Kummissjoni għandha tikkunsidra l-impatti soċjali u ekonomiċi taż-żoni insulari u fil-periferija tal-UE. Ir-rapport jirreferi għal reġjuni insulari bl-għan li titjieb il-konverġenza u l-koeżjoni soċjali u ekonomika fl-UE; Regoli tal-Istat għat-trasport f’reġjuni insulari; Għajnuna tal-istat biex ikunu mħarsa s-servizzi li huma ta’ interess ekonomiku ġenerali għall-UE; Id-drittijiet tal-konsumatur permezz tal-implimentazzjoni tal-politika tal-kompetizzjoni tal-UE.
Fil-Parlament Ewropew Dr Sant qal li r-rapport dwar il-kompetizzjoni jqajjem ċertu tħassib dwar l-iskop, il-poter u l-metodu tad-Direttur Ġenerali tal-Kompetizzjoni. ‘Il-firxa tiegħu hija waħda mill-aktar għodda potenti fil-qasam eżekuttiv tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea, u anki tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Id-Direttur-Ġenerali tal-Kompetizzjoni għandu l-poter li jfassal u jbiddel ir-regoli tas-suq fi ħdan l-Unjoni. Dawn jaffettwaw firxa wiesa’ ta’ kwistjonijiet ekonomiċi u finanzjarji. Jista’ – u filfatt hekk jagħmel – jagħti ordnijiet lill-gvernijiet, korporazzjonijiet żgħar u kbar, rigward deċiżjonijiet li ħadu jew li jeħtieġ li jieħdu. Hija mmexxija minn teknokratiċi kompetenti li joperaw taħt il-kappa tal-Kummissjoni. Biex jasal għad-deċiżjonijiet, id-Direttur-Ġenerali ifittex u jwettaq investigazzjonijiet, imbagħad jagħmel proċess imċajpar ta’ negozjati li ħafna minnhom isiru bil-bibien magħluqa.’
Alfred Sant qal li jeħtieġ li jingħarbel il-‘modus operandi’ tad-Direttur-Ġenerali tal-Kompetizzjoni, kif ukoll li jkun hemm riforma tal-mod kif inhu mqassam. ‘Fatturi politiċi, ekonomiċi, soċjali, personali u nazzjonali jibdew jaħdmu flimkien. F’dan kollu, jekk tkun kbir jagħtu iktar kasek milli jekk tkun żgħir. It-trasparenza hija ftit, l-‘accountability’ bil-kemm teżisti. Aktar minn hekk ix-xogħol ta’ dawk li jfasslu r-regoli u ta’ dawk li jimplimentawhom qegħdin f’għanqbuta waħda. Iż-żewġ rwoli – tat-tfassil tar-regoli u tal-implimentazzjoni – għandhom ikunu istituzzjonalment separati u t-tnejn li huma għandhom jużaw metodi aktar trasparenti.’ insista Dr. Sant.