Highest EU standards... only on paper

We joined the EU to improve our standard of living and adopt higher standards on consumer protection, the environment and safety. In fact, the EU has the highest standards in the world in all these areas.

So, we should have the highest water quality standards, right? Not really. The people of Xgħajra don’t benefit from EU standards. They have to contend with sewage bubbling out a few hundred metres out at sea as will those who get skin rashes and infections while swimming in the area.

Being in the EU, we should have the safest building regulations, right? Not really for Jean Paul Sofia and Miriam Pace who lost their lives due to negligence on all fronts, including on the part of the authorities who failed to implement the EU CE marking rules for bricks and other construction products.

I worked in the EU for the last 21 years. Europe is a fascinating force for the good of our citizens. But it’s useless having a mountain of laws in theory when you don’t find them protecting you in practice.

The EU encompasses more than just opportunities and funds; it also upholds rights and standards that ensure a high quality of life for all citizens. During encounters on the streets, home visits, or market visits, people often express their concerns to me about the EU’s tolerance of the government’s wrongdoing. The reality is that in several cases shared with me, the EU has established standards and enacted laws to safeguard its citizens, yet these are not consistently enforced in Malta by the government and its authorities.

A prime example is the application of CE marking. When a product bears a CE mark, it signifies compliance with health, safety, and environmental protection requirements necessary for sale within the European Economic Area (EEA). Many bricks and concrete products manufactured in Malta fail to meet EU safety standards because the government has neglected to enforce CE marking regulations in the construction industry. This issue prompted me to provide information to the board of the public inquiry investigating the death of Jean Paul Sofia. I welcome the inquiry’s recommendation for the consumer authority to take proactive measures to ensure that construction materials placed on the market adhere to CE markings. But it is now the government’s responsibility to ensure that national authorities (led by its appointees) fulfil their duties.

Another example pertains to the government’s failure to adhere to EU standards regarding sewage treatment. In recent months, there have been numerous reports of sewage discharge into the sea. In 2022, the European Commission initiated legal action against Malta for dumping sewage into the sea. Last summer, several beaches, including Qui Si Sana, Fond Għadir, Tigne, Balluta, St George’s Bay, Buġibba, and Birżebbuġa, were closed due to contamination. Just last week, I shared footage on my Facebook page showing sewage observed off the coast of Xagħra. Despite the government’s statements that most of Malta’s bathing waters are ‘excellent’, the situation on the ground indicates a rise in beaches with poor water quality. According to EU law, Malta is bound to treat all urban and rural drainage before discharge. We are evidently breaking EU rules daily. This is why I asked the Auditor General to investigate the matter and conduct a performance audit. It is unacceptable for Malta to have invested €60 million of EU funds in sewage treatment in recent years but raw human waste continues to end up at sea!

A third example in a long list of paper tigers, concerns the independence of public media. On several occasions, PBS has been found to be partial, with Television Malta censoring significant news items that are damning on the government or views that criticise the government. An analysis revealed that for every comment from the Opposition Nationalist Party (PN), PBS broadcast 13 comments from the governing Labour Party (PL). This goes against the public interest and the right to be informed. Under the European Media Freedom Protection Act, the head and the governing board of TVM should be appointed in a transparent, open, and non-discriminatory manner. TVM should also provide a plurality of information and opinions, in an impartial manner. What sense does it make to have Minister Owen Bonnici going to Brussels to welcome the European Media Freedom Act but in Malta his own government does exactly the opposite!

We joined Europe to secure higher standards in governance, democracy and quality of life. Instead, due to incompetence and lack of political will, government is breaching most of these standards, effectively depriving us of the benefits of EU membership. As part of my MEP campaign, I am outlining my vision and priorities if elected to the European Parliament. Ensuring the implementation of EU laws and standards will be among my foremost objectives. Labour MEPs cannot do that. They are too busy adoring ‘Robert Muscat’ and closing ranks on the daily scandals.

I am dedicated entirely to ensuring that the rights we gained upon joining the EU are upheld in practice, including by empowering organisations and citizens advocating for their rights. I will continue to take concrete actions to counteract the government’s laissez-faire approach. Unfortunately, Labour MEPs seem more preoccupied with shielding the government than ensuring the effective implementation of EU laws for the benefit of all EU citizens. On 8 June, I urge you to use your vote to ensure EU standards and laws do not remain a paper tiger.