Voicing Maltese business interest in EU

These are challenging times for business. We have navigated with a substantial degree of resilience through the stormy turbulence unleashed by the international economic crisis. However, this does not make us immune to the fast-evolving international circumstances that continue to threaten the consolidation of the so-called “green shoots” of economic recovery.

The latest turmoil spiralling throughout the Mediterranean region confirms that Malta, being a peripheral country of the EU, necessitates prudent public policy prescriptions in order to maintain its economic resilience and, consequently, be able to face unpredictable threats that spring up periodically, impacting negatively on our business community. Our economy is not only exposed to international developments due to our intrinsic openness to the international markets but also increasingly subjected to new regulatory pressures, more often than not, the result of pipeline acquis and new EU initiatives that are not always consonant with the grassroot realities of business. We can cite several examples of pending EU legislation on which the Malta Business Bureau is focusing its lobbying and communication efforts.

In the first instance, it is our role to explain the implications of such regulations. But we also go beyond by eliciting the reactions of our members to try and influence the policy-formulation process and the positioning of the Maltese government representatives in the Council working-groups.

Following on the heated debate and the publication of an impact assessment on the revised scope of the Pregnant Workers’ Directive, the MBB published a detailed position paper in response to the European Commission’s 50 proposals for the relaunch of the Single Market. This was presented to the Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business, Jason Azzopardi, and the EU Commission’s Internal Market Directorate-General, which is responsible for the drafting of the Single Market Act.

In its reactions, the MBB argued this is a much-needed development and, indeed, a timely initiative to reinvigorate cross-border business activity across the EU-27 member-states. Also, a relaunch of the European Single Market is key for a rapid and effective economic recovery. With this view in mind, however, the MBB delivered a clear message to the government that no proposals that undermine Malta’s competitiveness should be accepted. Furthermore, the adoption of any EU proposals that have a direct bearing on business should not be accepted before it can be ensured that the proposal and related regulations can be effectively implemented and enforced.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the MBB’s foundation. We have thought of marking this important event with a rebranding exercise of the organisation. While retaining a corporate look, we are also unhesitatingly embracing change. A spirit of enterprise is the driving force of Maltese business.

With this view in mind, we decided to adopt a corporate concept whereby the new logo embodies a sense of motion, of progressive advancement towards our goals – to obtain the best possible out of EU membership while minimising the risks of regulatory overkill for local business.

Fifteen years down the line, we are rising to the challenges and we will keep enhancing the operation of our offices in Malta and Brussels to achieve these objectives. It is our intention to continue conducting reports and commissioning impact assessments on EU legislation impacting local business. This way we will keep delivering on our mission statement of voicing the Maltese business interest in the EU.

The author is president of the Malta Business Bureau