EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FORMER MEMBERS ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION DES ANCIENS DEPUTES AU PARLEMENT EUROPEEN FMA Visit to Malta in context of the Maltese Presidency 2 - 4 April 2017 FMA Secretariat Office JAN 2 Q 73 European Parliament B-1047 Brussels Tel: +322.284.07.03 Fax: +332.284.09.89 E-mail: [email protected] Elisabetta FONCK Mobile phone: +32.473.646.746 I. INDEX I. Index 1 II. Malta’s EU Presidency 2017 3 1. Programme of the Presidency 5 2. Priority Dossiers under the Maltese EU Council Presidency 53 3. Maltese Presidency priorities discussed in parliamentary committees 61 4. Contributions of the LVI COSAC 67 III. Politics in Malta 71 5. Political Structure 73 6. OSCE/ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Final Report 87 IV. Institutions in Malta 111 7. European Asylum Support Office 113 7.1 EASO - Single Programming Document 8. Armed Forces of Malta Maritime Base HQ 133 V. Economy in Malta 135 9. Commission Country Report Malta 2016 138 10. Standard Eurobarometer 84 - Malta 187 V. Visiting Valletta 191 11. Cultural Visit 193 11.1 Upper Barrakka Gardens 11.2 Siege Bell War Memorial 194 11.3 The Malta Experience 195 11.4 St John’s Co-Cathedral 196 11.5 National War Museum 197 11.6 Casa Rocca Piccola 198 12. Practical Information 200 13. Maps 205 1 2 II. Malta’s EU Presidency 2017 1. Programme of the Presidency 2. Priority Dossiers under the Maltese EU Council Presidency 3. Maltese Presidency priorities discussed in parliamentary committees 4. Contributions of the LVI COSAC 3 4 PROGRAMME OF THE MALTESE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (1 January 2017 - 30 June 2017) 5 6 CONTENTS 5 Part I – Introducing the Maltese 28 Competitiveness Presidency Priorities Internal Market Our Presidency theme - rEUnion Industrial Competitiveness and Small and Medium A focus on people Sized Enterprise Policy Ideas into action Company Law Only (re)connect... Tourism Research and innovation 10 Part II – Council Configurations Space General Affairs Future of Europe 32 Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Better Regulation, Accountability and Strategy for a European Energy Union Transparency Euro-Med Cooperation on Energy Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) Integrated Maritime Policy Cohesion Policy Maritime Urban Agenda for the European Union Land Transport Enlargement Aviation Package Cooperation and Verification Mechanism Telecommunications sector Reunification of Cyprus Sustainable Development Goals 40 Agriculture and Fisheries Agriculture 14 Foreign Affairs (including Development, Emergency Preparedness for Plant and Animal Trade and Defence) Health European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Antimicrobial Resistance Southern Neighbourhood Common Fisheries Policy Eastern Neighbourhood Technical Measures Regulation Africa ICCAT Transposition Latin America and the Caribbean North Sea Plan EU and Turkey Small Pelagic Species in the Adriatic Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) External Fishing Fleet Development and Humanitarian Aid Demersal Fisheries in North Western Trade Waters, South Western Waters, and Western Mediterranean 19 Economic and Financial Affairs EU Budget 44 Environment Economic Governance Follow-up to the Paris Agreement and the Financial Services and Banking Union international climate agenda Taxation Emissions reduction in the Emissions Trading Anti-Fraud Scheme and non-Emissions Trading Scheme Anti-Money Laundering sectors Investment Circular Economy Package Other issues 22 Justice and Home Affairs Justice 45 Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Home Affairs Education Migration and Asylum Culture External Border Management Audiovisual Internal Security and Terrorism Youth Other Issues Sport 25 Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Employment and Social Policy Health Non-Communicable diseases Structured Cooperation between Health Systems 3 7 4 8 PART I Introducing the Maltese Presidency Priorities As Malta takes on the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in January 2017, the EU faces the toughest challenges in its 60-year history. Unprecedented waves of migration from Africa and the Middle East are exerting pressures on Malta’s Mediterranean neighbourhood, while the rise of populism across the continent is challenging the political status quo. Economic stagnation in some Member States is adding to rising disenchantment and to a growing disconnect between power elites and ordinary citizens, while the repercussions of the UK’s Brexit referendum in June 2016 will be felt for years to come. These are times of great global change. We are nonetheless ready for the challenge, and we are confident that while Malta may be the smallest nation among the 28 Member States we can provide strong leadership as we further the excellent work of the Netherlands and Slovakia, our Trio Partners. We will of course close off the Trio Programme, based on the Strategic Agenda agreed by the European Council in June 2014, but in doing so we will adopt our own, unique approach to the Presidency that reflects our response to the particular challenges of our time. 5 9 Our Presidency theme – rEUnion To do this, we have developed a series of questions that our deeds will need to answer as we make progress on our theme The theme of the Maltese Presidency of rEUnion. These questions, or focus areas, is rEUnion, a concept that encapsulates will form the pillars of our Presidency. everything we want to achieve at this special moment in our country’s rich history. Firstly, how can we ensure that all of our At its core, rEUnion means reconnecting citizens feel certain that the burdens as the citizens of the EU at individual, corporate and state levels – with each well as the benefits of EU membership are fairly and equally shared? For example, other, with their governments, with the EU why should the costs and disruption of and with the world. It’s a huge aspiration, migration from outside the Union fall so and we are not pretending it can be heavily on so few member states? achieved in just six months. What we do know, however, is that we can make a start, Secondly, how do we make sure that and chart a course through the storms of citizens can understand, believe in and get disunity and disaffection blowing across our involved in the EU project? How can we continent. help people feel a personal connection, a sense of excitement and a willingness to rEUnion is not a legislative programme, participate? How do we make them feel it is a philosophy and a way of working. that “the EU is there for me”? It means listening to and working for the people, sharing the burdens and benefits Thirdly, how can we make sure that the of membership of the EU fairly between rights of every citizen are protected, people and states and restoring a sense regardless of age, ethnicity, gender identity of cooperation and neighbourliness in or sexual orientation, that inequality is these increasingly fractious times. It means reduced and that opportunities in our reconnecting with people – and the society are equally available to all? How do recent political earthquakes have shown just how poorly the existing power elites we finally smash the glass ceiling? have understood the everyday concerns of Fourthly, in an age when power elites ordinary people. are held in contempt by an increasingly disenchanted populace, how can we A focus on people ensure that trust is regained through mechanisms that ensure that those in power are clearly held accountable to the So we have to put the citizen at the people for their actions, and that they are centre, and we have to shift the focus not open to corruption? of the EU away from its institutions and back onto the public. We will encourage Finally, how can we make sure not only the EU to listen harder to the concerns that the work of the EU results in economic of its citizens, to examine what is driving benefit to Member States, but that those some away from collaboration and towards benefits are passed on to all its citizens, nationalism, and we will find new ways to and not just corporations and their restart and re-energise the project. shareholders? 6 10 Ideas into action Europe’s security and prosperity are interlinked with that of our neighbourhood. So we have developed a number of Countries bordering the Southern priorities around which our leadership of Mediterranean are facing serious challenges, the Council of the EU – which sets the including armed conflict, terrorism, political policy agenda for much of the work of the instability and radicalisation. Aware of Union – will be based. the potential ripple effects of instability beyond Europe’s borders, we will focus EU Migration and asylum represent one of engagement towards the stabilisation of our these priorities – and of course Malta is neighbourhood, with particular focus on Libya. very much in the ‘front line’ here due to its location less than 300km from the coast We will also be looking to strengthen the of Tunisia. Our twin objectives in this area EU’s Single Market, the huge free trade are to push for reform of the Common area that many regard as the EU’s greatest European Asylum System (including the asset. Our priorities include a final end Dublin Regulation and transformation of to mobile phone roaming charges, and the European Asylum Support Office into tearing down the digital fences that stop a fully-fledged agency) in order to share some EU citizens from buying goods and the burden more evenly between Member services from other EU nations – a practice States, and to ensure that the issue known as geo-blocking. We are also remains at the top of the political agenda. looking to complete the Internal Energy Across the EU, citizens are demanding Market, bringing tangible benefits to our action and we cannot afford to have a economies, businesses and families. complacent Union that fails to treat this subject with the urgency and importance Our tiny island state has long punched it deserves.