Life+ Programme
Dr Joe Brincat uses the allegory of the peacock in his futile attempt to shoot down Malta's stand which eventually led to the doubling of the allocation of Malta's fund under the EU's Life+ programme (The Sunday Times, December 11). Forget the peacock.
Dr Joe Brincat uses the allegory of the peacock in his futile attempt to shoot down Malta's stand which eventually led to the doubling of the allocation of Malta's fund under the EU's Life+ programme (The Sunday Times, December 11).
Forget the peacock. Dr Brincat's attitude, like Labour's, is more comparable to the ostrich, which is well-known to dig its head in the sand just to shield itself from the reality surrounding it.
The issue of the Life+ is symptomatic of the quandary that Labour has pushed itself in on all matters relating to the EU. Basically, for Labour and its main exponents, it is practically impossible to concede that Malta is able to influence decisions and to make arguments as was the case with Life+.
I am sure readers vividly remember Labour's battlecry prior to the last general election that Malta would end up being swallowed by the 'big guns' of the European Union! Dr Brincat was Labour's deputy leader at the time.
For correctness' sake, during the last EU Environment Ministers' Council meeting, the presidency proposed an item whereby the population density criteria in the allocation of funds under the EU's Life+ programme excluded Malta and Luxembourg. Needless to say, this proposal would have negatively affected Malta's share of funding.
Minister for Rural Affairs and the Environment George Pullicino argued against such a proposal and said it was unacceptable for Malta, being the country with the highest population density among the EU member states, to accept the arbitrary solution that was proposed by the Commission.
Minister Pullicino proposed that the population density criterion be applied equally for all member states.
Dr Brincat may be reminded that, in financial terms, this translates itself into Malta doubling its funding allocation under this environmental programme. On a political basis, this was a major achievement since this issue involved a matter of principle that surely has a direct impact on other decisions that will be taken by the European Commission.