MEP Simon Busuttil has admitted that despite their best efforts, MEPs sometimes did not know all the details and possible implications of every law they voted on.
“Please appreciate that we have to vote on all subjects – when you see us pressing the button on TV, we’d be apprehensive about voting in the wrong way because you’re voting on topics coming from 20 committees. You’d be on two or three committees but you’re voting on material coming from 20 committees.
“The preparation you have to make before you vote is incredible, and we have to face this three days in a row every time we go to Strasbourg. We have sessions of an hour each where all we do is vote – hundreds of votes taken.”
An MEP’s input was far more useful before, rather than after, a vote was taken. “At times we vote in one way, and then it emerges on a newspaper that Simon Busuttil voted against this or that.
“But I’m sorry, this could have come from a committee I know nothing about, I’d have followed the party line and no one would have approached me about the details and the implications. You try, but you can’t keep up with everything. Our hope is that in these communications we can keep our finger on what the pressing issues in Malta are.”
In May last year there had been a war of words between the Nationalist Party and the Labour Party when Labour MEPs voted against or abstained on a motion on whether EU member states should be obliged to share the illegal immigration burden. So much so, that Lawrence Gonzi had launched his party’s MEP electoral manifesto by saying that PN MEPs “would not make ridiculous and scandalous mistakes during crucial votes” which affected Malta.
Labour accused the PN of trying to make political mileage out of a mistake which was then rectified, in line with the rules of the European Parliament, but it took a few days for the storm to settle.
Dr Busuttil’s comments on the constraints of voting in the EP emerged at a meeting of the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee in which MEPs gave an account of their activities over the past year to representatives of social partners and civil society.
Labour MEP Louis Grech complained that there was a lack of communication between social partners and MEPs, and that he “rarely” received feedback on his work.
“No one gave me any feedback on a report I made. I am not calling for recognition but if we’re (MEPs) to have an effect, we need to get feedback for our reports. Eventually any EU decision will affect Malta,” Mr Grech said.
Labour MEP Edward Scicluna likened preparing laws to baking, and asked social bodies to be more involved in the “kneading” phase, because there was less that could be done once these came out of the metaphorical oven.
Meusac head Vanni Xuereb added that social partners could use Malta’s MEPs more effectively.
Nationalist MEP David Casa did not attend the meeting as he had to be in Poland for an EPP meeting, where he was to stand for an internal election. Another absentee was Labour MEP John Attard Montalto.