PM mum on contribution
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi would not say how much Malta will be forking out towards an EU fund aimed at helping developing countries fight climate change.
Although Malta has made its calculations - expected to run into millions of euros a year up to 2020 - Dr Gonzi refused to divulge Malta's costs, saying: "The final figures still depend on a number of factors and on which formula is finally chosen by the EU".
Nine member states from Eastern Europe, led by Poland, objected that the formula to be used by the EU to determine each country's contribution would be based on polluting emissions. Instead, they want it to be based on gross domestic product in order to reflect the economic situation of different member states.
Dr Gonzi does not think this is an issue for Malta because its projections show that the difference between the two scenarios is minimal.
Asked to state whether Malta's contribution would be less or more than €10 million a year, Dr Gonzi said he was not prepared to give details. "We have calculated our figures precisely and we think we can afford our contribution. However, we are not yet in a position to give any details as our contribution is still on the negotiation table."
The 27 EU member states, meeting in a summit in Brussels, agreed that helping poorer countries tackle climate change would require €100 billion a year by 2020. The EU is now prepared to foot €50 billion of that annual figure. No targets for individual EU nations were announced and the initial funding would be voluntary.
Details of how the burden would be shared will be worked out later by a working group although individual member states already have a precise idea of how much money they would have to pay. The EU will take its offer - which is conditional on what other rich nations are prepared to offer - to the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen in December, which will try to reach a global deal on lowering global warming.
During the EU summit, Dr Gonzi used his time between official meetings to lobby with other member states on two fronts: solidarity on illegal immigration and Malta's bid to host the EU's new agency on asylum.
After one-on-one discussions with leaders of various countries, including the UK, Germany, Greece, Holland and Ireland, Dr Gonzi said the number of member states showing an interest in the Commission's inter-EU resettlement programme drawn up for Malta was on the rise.
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Alex Ellul
Nov 1st 2009, 01:07
@Marco-Cremona: We have been trying to help the Africans for half a century, but unfortunately it was all money down the drain because the Africans do not want to, cannot, help themselves.Vide Nigeria, they have enough oil to become the Abu Dhabi of Africa, but corruption has destroyed the country while their oil now belongs to the World Bank. Vide Zimbabwe, it was the richest state in black Africa, now it is a pariah. Vide South Africa, Mozambique, Congo, etc etc.
Now they want more of our money because we are supposedly increasing that blessed gas, CO2, that gas which together with water, oxygen, nitrogen and sunlight gives life to this carbon-based planet, to us, to Africans, life to all of us.
Prof Richard Lindzen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technolgy, one of the most distinguished climatologists in the world, wrote: “Future generations will wonder in bemused amazement that the early 21st century’s developed world went into hysterical panic over a globally averaged temperature increase of a few tenths of a degree and, on the basis of gross exaggerations of highly exaggerated computer predictions combined into implausible chains of inference, proceeded to contemplate a rollback of the industrial age.”
Chris Tanti
Oct 31st 2009, 18:50
Conclusion of a paper called "Taking Greenhouse Warming Seriously" by Profs. Lindzen:
"Hopefully, this paper has also clarified
why significant doubt persists concerning the remarkably politicized issue of global
warming alarm."
http://www-eaps.mit.edu/faculty/lindzen/230_TakingGr.pdf
Enzo Caruana
Oct 31st 2009, 18:45
NO PRIME MINISTER. We taxpayers are paying the contributions that you seem to have already accepted. Nothing new here, the EU dictates and the Nationalists accept everything like speechless sheep. We have a right to know and you are obliged to tell us how much we are paying Mr Prime Minister.
Muscat.Pat
Oct 31st 2009, 16:09
Gonzi's contribution to climate warming and the environment is the "new "dirty power station which is going to throw on all the Maltese living in the South 30 tons of black emisions.
P.Cassar
Oct 31st 2009, 12:41
@ all PN apologists
Please read below and at least think before bowing your heads when PN/EU say that Malta is a net recipient. Please remember also that all taxes, tariffs, compulsory higher price for EU imports etc etc imposed bec of the EU, are paid by US BUT do not form part of the computation.
John Spiteri Gingell
Oct 31st 2009, 10:43
Now perhaps, you can understand why the energy tariffs will shoot upwards - and it has very little to do with the price of oil. besides Malta's contribution to the suicidal EU policy of wealth redistribution, remember that our country, gingerly accepted the delusional CO2 emissions targets without considering for a moment what the economic consequences entail. in the coming years Malta will have to spend hundreds of millions of euros in subsidising commercially unviable and environmentally useless 'alternative energy' infrastructure. The only ones who will do well are those companies that stand to make billions feeding out of the public through whilst you the taxpayer will have to cough up more money in return for less energy. when you base public policy on delusions you will get disaster - it's a simple equation.
and by the way, Prof Richard Lindzen of MIT has absolutely, convincingly, and irrefutably proven the theory of Anthropogenic Global Warming to be completely false:
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/images/stories/papers/originals/co2_report_july_09.pdf
of course you wouldn't know that through the local media, which have long abondoned any attempt of rational critique and balanced reporting.
Have fun, you will be made to pay through your nose for no benefit whatsoever.
Marco Cremona
Oct 31st 2009, 10:33
Malta was also obliged to contribute towards a development fund to help Africans improve their lives in the own countries, and therefore reduce the motivation for immigration. We didn't honour our obligations. And then we complain that we're being swamped by illegal immigrants ! Prevention is better than cure.
If this fund fails we'll have even more immigrants to deal with, because climate change will wreck havoc with these countries - which are already plagued with droughts, floods, stifling temperatures etc.
lgalea
Oct 31st 2009, 10:16
First of all this is another imposition by the arrogant eu petty dictators.
Secondly we have a RIGHT to know how much it is because it is going to be pair from OUR TAXES.
P.Cassar
Oct 31st 2009, 10:08
The Czech Rep put its foot down and won the impossible (for Gonzipn) Of OPENING THE PACKAGE. REMEMBER?
Poland is putting its foot down and is being listened to.
Malta, complacent and paying through the nose, besides being forced to accept thousnads of illegal immigrants who practically none in Europe want.
And, an EU survey, says that we are the happiest people!!!!!!
louise vella
Oct 31st 2009, 09:25
"After one-on-one discussions with leaders of various countries, including the UK, Germany, Greece, Holland and Ireland, Dr Gonzi said the number of member states showing an interest in the Commission's inter-EU resettlement programme drawn up for Malta was on the rise."
Dr Gonzi, this is pie in the sky! Why did you not lobby the other EU leaders to strengthen Frontex to keep the illegal immigrants out? Why did you not lobby them to step up return flights to the illegal immigrants' countries of origin?
F J Brincat
Oct 31st 2009, 09:11
"We have calculated our figures precisely and we think we can afford our contribution….”
If your calculations are as precise as you assert then, you should know whether or not WE, as a country, could afford the contributions.
Contribution? This is an imposition rather than a contribution.