Gaming industry representatives have accused four of Malta's MEPs of ignoring a European Parliament report on how the remote gaming industry should be regulated, a matter that potentially affects 4,000 employees.
The non-binding report says that regulation of this sensitive sector should remain at the individual member states' level. It was drawn up by the Internal Market Committee and won approval from the majority of MEPs in last month's plenary session.
The Maltese Remote Gaming Council (MRGC) said that the four MEPs did not bother to sign an alternative report that was in the interest of the island's industry while two of them did not attend the session when the crucial vote was taken.
Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil was the only one spared the criticism. According to the MRGC, he was the only one who followed the dossier with interest and made sure to lend his support.
The report reflected the different positions of some member states on this sector. Drafted by British MEP Malcolm Harbour, it argues that remote gaming is just another economic activity and should be regulated according to existing EU internal market rules.
Although Mr Harbour's alternative report was not approved by the plenary when put to the vote, its contents were in line with the position adopted by the Maltese government on the matter. Malta prefers the present internal market rules to regulate the gaming industry over national regulation as some member states have, in the past, tried to stifle competition through their laws.
During the plenary vote, Nationalist MEPs David Casa and Dr Busuttil and Labour MEP Louis Grech voted with the minority and supported Mr Harbour's alternative resolution. The other two Labour MEPs, John Attard Montalto and Glenn Bedingfield, were absent and did not vote.
However, what seems to have most irritated the MRGC is not the plenary vote itself but what happened before.
According to the council, before going to plenary Mr Harbour's report needed at least 40 signatures to be accepted. Although lobbied to do so, only Dr Busuttil of the five Maltese MEPs took the initiative to sign it and lend a helping hand to Mr Harbour. "This is totally unacceptable," Alan Alden, the council's general secretary, said.
"We just cannot understand how only three of the five Maltese MEPs voted for the alternate resolution submitted. Furthermore, we noted that only Simon Busuttil actually endorsed the alternate resolution."
"Malta is always trying to attract investment and needs to do all in its power to protect the remote gaming industry, which accounts for six per cent of GDP, directly employs 2,000 people and indirectly about another 2,000. We worry about a factory with 150 workers closing down but then ignore an opportunity to do something for this industry. It is totally unacceptable to the council and we intend to pursue this matter further," he insisted.
Asked for their reaction, the four MEPs who did not sign the Harbour report said they could not sign the report because they were not present in Brussels when Mr Harbour asked for their signature.
Asked why they did not vote during the plenary, Dr Attard Montalto and Mr Bedingfield said they missed the session for different circumstances. Dr Attard Montalto was "indisposed" and did not travel to Strasbourg that week and Mr Bedingfield said he was caught in a flight delay and did not make it on time for the Strasbourg voting session.