Editorial

When Ireland rejected the Nice agreement, those who are against seeing Malta join the European Union rejoiced.

It was ironic, we had observed at the time, 'that a country which has been transformed by EU grants from an economic backwater into "the fastest growing economy in the free world" had decided, temporarily at least, to deny others a share of the same delights'.

Ireland ranks 10th in global competitiveness (based on assessments of the ability of a country to achieve sustained high rates of GDP growth per head - $24,740) ahead of Sweden, in global competitiveness, Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, Austria and Australia. Its tourism receipts are over $3.5 billion.

These achievements and others are the direct result of EU membership and if critics say it came at a price, they have no answer for an economic transformation that is the envy of Europe. Ireland selfishly fears enlargement. Its EU partners are urging it to change its mind.

According to reports from Brussels, the EU Commission's annual progress reports, due next Wednesday, Malta is in fact included in the list of 10 countries generally considered ready to complete negotiations in December and to join in 2004. We have no reason to doubt at this stage that these negotiations will be successfully concluded.

Ireland will soon be revisiting the decision it had taken - by a majority in a 30 per cent turnout of the electorate! EU countries, members and applicants, are hoping the decision will be transformed into an overwhelming acceptance of the enlargement process.

But if not, candidate countries hope that the Commission will put into action an alternative plan to save enlargement from collapse.

In its rating report on EU enlargement, Fitch deemed it 'realistic to assume that the next enlargement will involve 10 candidate countries'. The report does not deny the possibility that one or more prospective countries will vote against joining the EU, but it doubts that 'many voters will opt to keep their country outside the EU if their neighbours are joining'.

The main difficulties Fitch finds that could delay enlargement are delays on the part of the EU to get its agriculture act together, a final political settlement in Cyprus and the Irish referendum. Fitch also thinks that candidates 'are likely to qualify for substantial financial transfers for a number of years'; the agency acknowledges that 'actual figures have not been finalised'.

The government remains confident that the majority of the Maltese people will vote in favour of joining Europe at the referendum that is likely to be held next January or February if accession talks are concluded. The 2003 budget will have been voted and it will make no sense to keep the country clicking its heels waiting for a referendum any later. Soon after the result is known, it is probable that the prime minister will go to the country.

Malta is approaching a date with destiny at least as important as the date on which the island became independent. Free to navigate our course into the future, the last four decades have highlighted the simple fact that our future must involve us in the evolving European, political, social and economic environment.