The F.O.I., through its Malta Business Bureau (MBB), organised three separate information and discussion meetings for its members.
These information sessions, focusing on Intellectual Property Rights, Work Equipment Safety, and the European Commission's Updated Report on Malta, were held on October 9, 10 and 17, respectively.
The Intellectual Property Rights Act (2000) and its implications for business in Malta was the topic of an information session for members held on October 9.
Of particular interest was the presentation and discussion on the rights and obligations of the private sector within this field, especially to protect against the possible counterfeiting of any branded items represented locally.
The Department of Customs also described its action plan in this area. The speakers for this event were Simon Lee Barberi, MBB EU Help-Desk Co-ordinator, Godwin Warr, director, Policy and Regulatory Services (Ministry for Economic Services) and George Agius from the Customs Department.
The Government officials also circulated a number of handouts to all those present on the subject matter in question. Copies of these handouts are available from the EU Help Desk.
The EU Help Desk offered logistical support to the Occupational Health and Safety Authority (OHSA) in the organisation of a very well attended workshop dealing with Work Equipment Safety on October 10.
The members present were addressed by Stuart Bullock (currently pre-accession adviser at OHSA under a twinning agreement with the UK's Health and Safety Executive) and Brian Cracknell, also from the UK's Health and Safety Executive.
These two experts gave an overview of both the British and European experiences in introducing and implementing the various Directives in this area.
Of particular interest were the various videos screened throughout the morning, which gave participants actual examples of hazardous situations on various local work places, especially in construction and small industrial workshops. These videos were taken by the British experts to illustrate a number of practices which need to be rectified.
Dr Leonard Mizzi, director of the MBB Offices in Brussels, and Mr Lee Barberi, MBB EU HelpDesk co-ordinator, presented a business overview of the recently published European Commission's Malta Progress Report.
The speakers explained that the report considered various points of concern, including the lack of consensus in view of the consistency of policy reforms should there be a change in government in Malta; the slow pace of the restructuring registered in the public sector; and taxation issues particularly when it came to VAT on medicines and food and some aspects of direct taxation.
The European Commission's views on the levy removal programme of products within the agriculture and agro-food sectors were also highlighted, as were the report's comments on the lack of progress in the Malta Government's privatisation programme, the further developments required on the environmental and public health legislation front and the absence of an Industrial Policy Document.
The importance of clear indications on to the strategy of the agro-food sectors, as well as the main pending elements in Malta's EU negotiations are in the run-up to the European Council Summit in Copenhagen in mid-December were also discussed.
Among the queries raised from the floor, following the speeches of both speakers, were those related to EU compliance of the Business Promotion Act; Malta's position on the Agriculture and Competition policy Chapters; and the implementation in Malta of new acquis-related legislation.