I refer to the article Gozo Needs Special Help In EU Budget (June 14). It quotes a government spokesman confirming that Malta had, for the first time, submitted a request to trigger a clause in the Accession Treaty between Malta and the EU for Gozo to be treated separately in negotiations on the next seven-year EU budget.
... this is the first time such a request has been made...- Vanni Xuereb, head, Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee, Valletta
Firstly, I would like to point out that there is no clause in the Treaty of Accession that establishes separate treatment for Malta and Gozo in negotiations on the EU budget. The Treaty of Accession, however, contains a “Declaration by the Republic of Malta on the Island Region of Gozo” (Declaration 36). Citing Gozo’s specific needs, the government of Malta stated that “before the end of each Community budgetary period entailing a redefinition of the Community regional policy, Malta will request that the Commission report to the Council on the economic and social situation of Gozo and, in particular, on the disparities in the social and economic development levels between Gozo and Malta.
“The Commission would be asked to propose appropriate measures, as required, in the framework of the Community regional policy or other relevant Community policies, to ensure the continuation of the reduction of disparities between Gozo and Malta as well as the further integration of Gozo into the internal market on fair conditions.
“In particular, in the event that Malta, as a whole, would no longer be eligible to certain measures of the regional policy, the report would assess whether the specific economic situation of Gozo justifies a continued eligibility of Gozo to those measures, and under which conditions, during the reference period.”
Indeed, during a national conference entitled Gozo: An Island-Region In The European Union which the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee organised in Gozo on June 12 to mark the eighth anniversary of Malta’s accession to the EU, the matter referred to in the article was raised by the Prime Minister himself who announced that he had written to the president of the European Commission requesting the Commission to draw up the report on the economic and social disparities between Gozo and Malta mentioned in Declaration 36 of the Treaty of Accession.
The Prime Minister also explained why this is the first time that such a request has been made since the possibility of Malta losing Objective 1 status did not exist before the end of the previous budgetary period in 2006.
The national conference addressed how Gozo has benefitted from EU membership and discussed the vision for Gozo as an island region in the EU.
It is a pity that the article does not make any reference whatsoever to the said conference. Had a correspondent or reporter been present for the event, The Times would not have needed to seek confirmation from any government spokesman about the latest developments vis-à-vis Gozo since the point was mentioned several times by the Prime Minister, Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono and the EU funds permanent secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister, Marlene Bonnici.
Moreover, The Times would also have had the opportunity to follow a very lively and interesting discussion that focused on Gozo’s specific needs in which Gozitan businessmen as well as representatives of local councils and civil society participated.