Update 3: Attempt to reject new Frontex rules derailed by Socialists
(Adds statements by Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil, PL and PN)
The European Commission and Council have managed to get their way and will be able to introduce new rules of engagement during this year’s anti-migration patrol missions coordinated by Frontex as the resolution to reject these rules approved by the Civil Liberties Committee last week didn’t manage to garner the necessary support of the Socialist group in the EP.
Although the resolution, approved last week, following a suggestion by Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil, was approved by 336 votes in favour, 253 against and 30 abstentions in today’s vote during the plenary session, this was not enough to go through as the resolution needed a qualified majority of 369 members.
Since the qualified majority was not achieved, the new Frontex guidelines are now adopted and can be implemented by Frontex.
The new rules were already approved by the EU Council earlier on this year despite the objections of Malta which views them against its interests.
According to the new rules, all irregular immigrants and asylum seekers saved on the high-seas during a Frontex mission have to be taken to the mission’s host country and not to the closer safe port. This means that if Malta hosts a Frontex mission in the future, as it has done in the past two years, it will have to take all the illegal immigrants found at sea.
Malta has already declared that it will not continue to take part in Frontex missions under these rules.
Though almost all the major political forces in the EP supported Dr Busuttil’s suggestion to reject the rules, the Socialist group, the second largest political group, supported the guidelines and was instrumental in tilting today’s vote.
Despite voting in favour of a rejection and against their group’s wishes, the vote of the three Maltese Labour MEPs was not enough to secure an absolute majority in favour of a rejection.
Labour’s head of delegation Louis Grech last week admitted that despite trying, Malta’s Labour delegation did not convince the rest of the Socialist group to reject the new rules.
LABOUR INCAPABLE OF DEFENDING MALTA'S INTERESTS
PN MEP Simon Busuttil said that the failure of the EP to reject the Frontex rules with just 33 votes short of the required majority showed that the Labour Party was incapable of defending Malta's interests.
Before the vote, after Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and Socialist MEP Michael Cashman appealed for an approval of the rules, Dr Busuttil made the case for rejection stating that, in presenting these rules, the Commission had exceeded its powers.
336 MEPs voted to reject the rules, just 33 votes short of the required majority - with 253 approving them and 30 abstentions.
The Socialist and Communist groups supported the rules.
"We always knew it but this confirms it: Labour is just bluff," Dr Busuttil said criticising the Labour MEPs on their failure to convince their Socialist colleagues to support the rejection.
"We needed the Labour MEPs to convince the Socialist Group to reject these rules, just like I did with my group. But they failed and were not even able to help us get another 33 votes," he said.
"Barely a year ago, during the campaign for the European Parliament election, the Labour Party presented itself as the party that could fight effectively for Malta's interests. We get a great deal of fiery rhetoric from them.
“But despite having three MEPs and soon four, when push comes to shove, Labour proves to be completely ineffective. They are incapable of defending Malta's interests," he concluded.
GOOD NUMBER OF EPP MEMBERS ALSO VOTED AGAINST MALTA - PL
The PL’s delegation voted in the national interest and against the position taken by the majority in the European Parliament.
Contrary to the impression that had been given, a good number of members of the EPP also voted in favour of the regulations and against Malta.
Using Dr Busuttil’s argument, Dr Busuttil and the PN delegation had not been capable of convincing all EPP members to vote in Malta’s interest.
LABOUR CANNOT BE TRUSTED TO DEFEND MALTA'S INTERESTS
The PN described the vote as another failed opportunity for Labour in the EU and another unfortunate case which proves that Labour could not be trusted to stand tall and defend Malta’s interests.
It said this was another missed opportunity by Labour in the EU to defend Malta’s rights when and where it mattered. It was another classical example that when the country needed them most, the Maltese Labour MEPs were of no help at all. Out of three Labour MEPs in the EP, John Attard Montalto was not present for the vote, it said.
The PN said that Labour, in spite of having the majority of MEPs in the EP failed to convince the Socialist Group to reject the Frontex rules and the Maltese Labour MEPs were not even capable of getting 33 more votes on Malta’s side.
"When faced with the task of defending the country’s interests Labour, despite the pre-MEP elections rhetoric, Labour failed to deliver," the PN said.
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sean grima
Mar 28th 2010, 11:31
as usual, fools never differ
Mark Galea
Mar 26th 2010, 12:55
@Marion PACE
you seem not to know how a rejection works - read the text well, and you will see that even a minority can block a rejection.
Also, note that PL is affiliated with Socialists, those who are in favour most of immigrants. If you are trying to give PL some extra mileage on this issue, better be careful, else you will find yourself with PL in government and more immigrants in the streets.
Mark Galea
Mar 26th 2010, 12:45
@Igalea
You never told us about your experience in Libya.
Ramon Casha
Mar 26th 2010, 08:00
What's done is done. We should now use this IN OUR FAVOUR. Stay within Frontex, but refuse to host any missions. Then we can happily transport all immigrants that appear in our waters to whichever country hosts the missions.
Ernest Vella
Mar 25th 2010, 23:25
mela jiehdu hsiebhom huma...u ma jgibux l-inkwiet taghhom (l-Ewropej) fuq xtutna. Il-ligi internazzjonali tghid li l-pajjiz garr ta konflitt irid jiehu hsiebhom...issa jekk dawn l-Ewropej ta quattro soldi m'ghandhomx il-gazz jitkellmu mela jzommuhom huma...ejja ghal darba ma nilghabuhiex ta qaddisin u nhallu lill-Ewropa taghmel dmirha ghal darba u terfgha r-responsabbilta tal-passat.
Dan li ghidt mhux kontra r-refugjati...imma kontra ewropej bla qalb u bla kuxjenza...li wara li selhulhom il-pajjizi taghhom u beghhulhom l-armi issa jridu jitfghu il-konsegwenza fuqna...kemm hasbuna ta subghajna f'halqna. Nittama li l-Prim Ministru ma jaghmiliex tal-bravu u jgib il-Frontex l-hawn...m'ghandniex x'irriduhom...ssa jzommuhom it-Taljani jew il-Francizi jew Spanja jew il-Grecja.
Marion PACE
Mar 25th 2010, 21:28
As far as I know Socialists are in a minority so did Dr Busuttil manage to persuade all his group? Furthermore with the PN's past performance I doubt if it were in the reverse he would have taken Maltese people' side and not the his party's. The Socialists on the contrary have always placed their country first and their consituents, if not Dr. Sant would have still been priminister and perhaps we might never have become members of the EU. I am proud of our Socialist three members and I am not proud of myself for having trusted the PN in the 80's with my vote.
C.camilleri
Mar 25th 2010, 21:00
Good morning. At last the PN woke up and is trying to put the blame on the labour MEP,s after blindly accepting Frontex rules.
I, would like to ask Simon Busuttil exactly how successful Frontex had been so far?
Was the burden sharing accepted by the PN successful?
From all the countries run by a conservative governments, how many immigrants have they accepted?
I am really dissapointed that something of national interest ends up in the PN spin machine just for the sake to divert from the real issues hurting our families such as the higher utility tariffs.
C Attard
Mar 25th 2010, 17:32
@ Marion Pace, Why do we start mixing things up when logic tells you that the MEP who you do not support did the right thing to garner 256 votes while the 3 that you do support garnered 3 votes?... Is anyone astonished about this? This is not the first time that happened. There was at least two other votes I recall, but let us not mix things up (as per my initial statement) and say 'white where is white' and 'black where is black.' Simon Busuttil truly worked for the Maltese on this one. Full Stop.
C.ZARB
Mar 25th 2010, 17:23
I think that it was very difficult for poor Simon to convince the popular party (filled with gentlemen from parties like La Lega Nord) to vote against this motion. Anyway, can anyone please remind me who had signed the dreadful Dublin treaty in the first place? That is what is keeping immigrants in Malta in the first place.
Marcel Dingli
Mar 25th 2010, 16:53
J Demanuele. if the Labour Party is no good and the PN is no good either, we must find an alternative, musn`t we? Abstaining from voting doesn`t help. We must use our vote, even if it has to go to people like il Farfett, God rest his soul. Now don`t tell me he was no better than the PN LP. At least he was an honest and sincere person.
Marion Pace
Mar 25th 2010, 16:15
@ J Demanuale
At least the Maltese Socialist Representatives voted against the motion and considered
Malta's interest first not like the local PN parlamentarions when voting in favour of the W & E electricty Bill as opposed to the majority of people's intesests. Thank you Maltese LP Meps for thinking of Malta first and foremost.
Paul Barrett
Mar 25th 2010, 15:58
Is not this EU ruling against the International Laws of the sea which goes something along the lines of those rescued to be landed at the nearest safe port?
Peter Wood
Mar 25th 2010, 15:47
Does any one in any position of authority ever read these comments????? Because it seems to me nothing is ever done to answer the requests of the Maltese people to save their Island. If the government is not careful there will come a time when the people will make the decisions for them selves.....The message will then get back to Africa that Malta is no longer safe either!
C Buttigieg
Mar 25th 2010, 15:44
I think the outcome of this vote was a little bit obvious from the very beginning. Isn't this what they all wanted in the first place? Italy has been trying to load us with all the immigrants it helps on the way to Lampedusa for the last couple of years. Northern Europe has no interest whatsoever what happens in the south as we have seen with the Libyan visa dispute. I guess it is time that we all put it into our heads that we are all alone on this one. Forget frontex, burden sharing and all the fancy promises we have heard. Malta is fast becoming one of the small dustbins of Europe. Government should stand up and get out of every aliiance where it is obvious that we are getting a raw deal.
Tony Gatt
Mar 25th 2010, 15:38
To all the labour apologists:
1 Labour MEP = 1 vote
Simon Busuttil = 265 votes (number of EPP members)
THAT is the whole point about labour's failure. Denying that fact is failing to understand the WHOLE POINT of electing a representative of Malta in the European Parliament!!!
lgalea
Mar 25th 2010, 17:35
According to your own argument, there is no need for more PN MEPs because whether they get one or six would make no difference because they will still get the same number of EPP votes.
Gianninu Saliba
Mar 25th 2010, 15:34
I wonder. The Maltese Socialist MEPs voted in favour along with the Nationalist MEPs and the other People's Party MEPs. Did the Maltese Socialists whisper in their counterparts ears to vote in favour of the motion or did they tell them "We will be voting in favour, but make sure that you vote against, as a negative vote will put pressure on the Maltese Government. Keep in mind, comrades, in Malta the Socialists are the Party in Opposition." I wonder, I really wonder.
J.Tonna
Mar 25th 2010, 15:32
THERE IS NO BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH, EU WANTED TO ANNIHILATE FRONTEX AND WITH THIS MOVE THEY MANAGED.
Which is that idiotic country that will accept to host Frontex with these new conditions. May be it will be hosted at the EU itself, either in Brussles or in Strasbourg.
Tony Abela
Mar 25th 2010, 15:23
Well done to Simon Busuttil for leading the biggest group in Parliament to secure a majority!! If only we had another Simon Busuttil with the socialists then we could have had the required qualified majority!!
Joe Vella
Mar 25th 2010, 15:19
@ l. Galea
Where is Joseph's Muscat German friend when Malta needed him the most. IMKIEN. Il- Verita dejjem tirbah dejjem.
James Dimech
Mar 25th 2010, 15:14
A good MEP does not only cast his vote. He convinces his colleagues to vote like him. This is what Busuttil did and what Joseph Muscat's larger PL DELEGATION FAILED TO DO. This is Joseph Muscat's labour in its pure form.
Muscat basta hafna paroli bombastiku f'Malta biex nimxu skont l-interessi taghna fuq kwistjonijiet bhal Libja u l-immigrazzjoni. Imbghad meta jasal ghall-azzjoni u ghall-fatti ma jaghmel xejn.
lgalea
Mar 25th 2010, 21:54
The others looked after their country's interests by not allowing illegal immigrats to go to their countries, the opposite of what Gonezi is doing by allowing all illegal immigrats to remain in Malta instead of expelling them forthwith they set foot in Malta.
joe muscat
Mar 25th 2010, 15:02
@J Demanuele
Please start from the beginning of the story before you comment. Who wanted so much that Malta will take part in Frontex , the answer is GonziPN. So you pretend that the Labour MEP will convince all the socialist group :) to vote against , and here is written clearly the Labour MEP voted in the interest of Malta.
Adrian Cardona
Mar 25th 2010, 14:52
I now expect an IMMEDIATE statement from the Government rejecting Frontex using Malta as a base from now on. Anything less will make us look the dustbin of Europe.
c. camilleri
Mar 25th 2010, 14:50
Govt should stand firm on this issue and pull out of Frontex altogether. It has the whole country behind it.
Sander Depasquale
Mar 25th 2010, 14:43
The government should keep its word like it did in the case of the Tuna fishing. we should not take part in the Frontex mission at all.
And I hope that the Government will not do a turnaround like it did when we signed the Immigration pact without the clause for obligatory burden sharing.
J Demanuele
Mar 25th 2010, 14:42
But what a shame for Labour Progressives....
Do they expect as MEP just to go and cast their vote (sometimes they also fumble on this one, but thankfully not this time round) or also TO LOBBY Malta's interest within their group to garner their support????
The answer is straight forward. Qatt ma jgibuha tajba!
Shame on Labour & their MEPs.
Labour is bad news from Malta! Now we know it!
lgalea
Mar 25th 2010, 14:53
The shame is on you. If the others could not be persuaded, why do you blame the PL MEPs? The government should not host (AF)FRONTEX and not accept any illegal immigrants. Whatever the outcome in the eu the vast majority of Maltese citizens do not want Malta to become an illegal immigrants centre as had been said by Frattini.
Mario Attard
Mar 25th 2010, 13:46
"Malta has already declared that it will not continue to take part in Frontex missions under these rules."
I just hope that the government will keep its word. These new rules will surely ruin this tiny island forever!
Clayton Bezzina
Mar 25th 2010, 14:10
I agree with you 100%
Johnny Abela
Mar 25th 2010, 13:46
Attempt...to blame the socialists....Epic fail!
Adriano Spiteri
Mar 25th 2010, 13:46
Simon Busuttil's dream of burden sharing discredited again.
GonziPN are alluding that only Frontex can spare us waves of African immigrants
yet, thanks to Frontex, we're full of ILLEGAL immigrants
The problem is not the Africans trying to enter illegally,
not Frontex nor the EU
the problem is our Government and our PM
for when there's no will there's no way!
Malta can issue 'Malta only' visas for Libyans - a lackey move
but it cannot send immigrants back to where they came from
and it cannot stop the influx of unwanted immigrants
There is no will
JPO was right in his suggestion but he was vilified by the know-it-all cretins
This is far from a Nationalist Party
It's simply another Socialist party.
G camilleri
Mar 25th 2010, 13:45
Under these rules, who will be willing to host the Frontex mission???
Joseph Stafrace
Mar 25th 2010, 13:43
If the Maltese government sticks to its guns; this vote could be a blessing in disguise. No more Frontex = no illegal immigrants.
Marcel Dingli
Mar 25th 2010, 13:42
My vote goes to Lowell, again !
Clayton Bezzina
Mar 25th 2010, 14:08
Mine too.
Michael Neville Cassar
Mar 25th 2010, 13:38
Well now do we open our doors? Or shell we sing and cry to all loveable good hearted who pose in front of the TV cameras crying wolf and raciest ..The time is now for Malta to choose either totally independent or we will remain being tramped . ViVA OLD MINTOFF
C.ZARB
Mar 25th 2010, 13:22
The PL's MPs should leave the 'socialist' party since they rarely vote anything that defends our national interest. Stating that, let's face it, Frontex ferry service was a gimmick doomed to fail. We need real solutions about this problem and not gimmicks like Frontex and voluntary burden sharing.
C.ZARB
Mar 25th 2010, 13:13
thanks for the Frontex GonziPN. What a waste of time and effort!
Isobel McGonigle
Mar 25th 2010, 13:11
This will finally kill off Malta's tourism and the indigenous people of Malta. RIP
Pierre Agius
Mar 25th 2010, 13:11
Hear Hear! And where were our Socialist MEP's? Can anyone tell us please? How did they vote? let it be known European Socialists against our national interets! So much for solidarity. Thank you for nothing!
daniel farrugia
Mar 25th 2010, 13:28
you should read to the end, all 3 maltese socialist voted in favour of the suggestion made by simon busuttil !!!
P. Schembri
Mar 25th 2010, 13:35
If you read the article with attention you would have noticed that the Maltese MEP's voted against their socialist counterparts. The Maltese were united in this vote. Next time think before you leap!
Charles Zammit
Mar 25th 2010, 12:59
Have the nationalist MEPs managed to convince their respective group which to my knowledge is the biggest group in th EU parliament, to vote against?
leonardo vince
Mar 25th 2010, 12:54
And what about the vote of the People's Party - is there some mystery about it?
Mark Galea
Mar 25th 2010, 12:47
PL should disassociate itself from the European Socialists. PL be clear in its alliances.
Louise Vella
Mar 25th 2010, 12:46
Stop the legal quibbling. FRONTEX has served as a ferry service transporting illegal immigrants from Libyan waters to the shores of southern Europe. FRONTEX will do its job if it is strengthened and turned into a robust coastguard with the duty of pushing back the boats to their point of origin.