Positive reactions to Commissioner Joe Borg's new appointment

The new portfolio assigned to Maltese EU Commissioner Joe Borg was welcomed positively yesterday from both sides of the Maltese political spectrum.

Dr Borg was given responsibility for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, considered as a very prestigious portfolio and with evident links to Malta.

Last Thursday, the new Commission President-Designate, José Manuel Barroso, surprised everyone when, unexpectedly, more then a week before a self-imposed time frame, announced the portfolios of his new 24-member team.

The Commissioners, considered as the highest ranking EU officials, carrying a salary package of more than Lm91,000 annually, will start managing their new tasks from November 1 for a five-year term, after being scrutinised and 'grilled' by the individual committees of the European Parliament.

Dr Borg's portfolio includes the management of the newly renamed Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Directorate General, with added direct responsibility for the Law of the Sea, previously in the External Relations DG and for the Community Fisheries Control Agency.

Dr Borg will also chair a Commission Task Force to develop a Green Paper on Maritime Policy.

Asked for their reaction, MEPs from both sides of the political spectrum showed satisfaction at Dr Borg's appointment.

The head of the PN delegation at the European Parliament, Simon Busuttil, said he was very pleased that the Maltese Commissioner will be working in areas directly related to Malta.

He added that "although Commissioners are bound to act independently from national governments, it is so much better to have our Commissioner working in an area that is immediately relevant to our country".

Dr Busuttil said that maritime affairs and fisheries fit this bill perfectly. "Just think of all the services linked to our maritime sector, ranging from shipping registration to shiprepair to maritime law. "Joe's appointment can have important multiplier effects that can help us exploit Malta's maritime potential to the full."

Labour MEP Joseph Muscat described the appointment as challenging and said that Dr Borg will do a good job.

He said that despite points of political divergence between him and Dr Borg, he has always rated him highly on both a personal and technical level.

"He has quite a challenging task ahead, especially in the maritime sector, where he could find himself being pressed, at EU level, to carry out measures which could affect our national interest in an adverse manner; on the other hand, he will bring a Maltese perspective to the job," Mr Muscat said. "Nevertheless, at the end of the day one must remember that as a commissioner, his job is to put forward the interests of the EU and not of a single country."

Both MEPs viewed Mr Barroso's choices favourably. Mr Muscat said that he was particularly pleased that apart from being given a promotion to Vice-President, one of the best-performing members of the Prodi Commission, Margot Wallström, was given the new portfolio of Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy.

He said that he was also pleased that Mr Barroso seemed to be putting the Lisbon strategy - to make Europe the most competitive economy in the world with a full-employment vision - on top of his agenda.

Dr Busuttil said that it was very positive that Mr Barroso appointed the Estonian Commissioner as one of the Vice-Presidents. "This shows that he is keen on making the new countries feel fully on board and that he does not intend to treat small countries differently."