Chamber to announce EU stand on basis of membership survey

The Chamber of Commerce would be pronouncing itself on the European Union package and membership after receiving the replies to a survey among its 1,000 members, chamber president Reginald Fava said yesterday.

The results of the survey are expected to be published in a week's time. After that the chamber will make its views on the EU package public.

The survey consists of three main questions: whether the package is beneficial to the respondent, to the sector the respondent works in and to the nation as a whole.

"The interest of the chamber is to bring to the attention of the business sector balanced and honest information about the EU," Mr Fava said.

Speaking at a news conference at the chamber's head office in Valletta, Mr Fava said the chamber would be holding a seminar on 'The costs and benefits of the negotiated package' on January 24.

The speakers at the seminar will include EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen, Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami and Labour leader Alfred Sant.

Asked whether the chamber was in favour of EU membership, Mr Fava said the chamber had been in favour of strengthening economic, social and political ties with the EU since the coming into effect of the association agreement between Malta and the European Economic Community in 1971.

Asked whether the chamber had considered the Labour Party's option of partnership with the EU, Mr Fava said the chamber did not have enough facts in hand to be able to evaluate the partnership option.

However, he said the Labour leader would have the opportunity to talk about this at the conference being organised by the chamber.

Mr Fava said he agreed that it would have been better for Malta to have received a higher financial package from the EU, but he added that the government had managed to obtain a financial package that was much higher than that originally proposed by the EU.

"However, one cannot look solely at the financial side of the package. If one were only to consider the financial aspect, then one would lose sight of the principles.

"One would have to consider all the aspects of the package as well as of the country's situation," Mr Fava said.

Other business organisations invited to take part in the seminar include the GRTU, Association of General Retailers and Traders, the Malta Employers' Association, the Malta Federation of Industry and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.